A Portrait of Youth
by JanuaryFriend
Summary: What is life, without a few good friends by your side? Snapshots from the youth of Team Gai.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's notes: This is just a bunch of drabbles that were too short to be individual stories, and wouldn't leave me alone. Hopefully, now that they are written, I can go back to my other fics. Mostly friendship here, although you might be able to imagine some pairings. Also, I took some liberties with their childhood, but why not? This story is complete, unless I decide to write more._

**A Portrait of Youth**

**I. **They sit in the cool, shaded veranda, waiting to meet their sensei. Tenten fidgets on the left, Lee bounces anxiously in the middle, and Neji reclines easily on the right. Three newly graduated shinobi, one newly formed team, and no glue to hold them together. They are nothing alike.

Tenten is the cheerful one, the girl who averaged 'average' in all her classes. She's the one who, except for her penchant for weaponry, could easily be forgotten. Her dream is to be better, the best kunoichi, as strong as the great Lady Tsunade herself.

Lee is emotional, a wreck who somehow managed to pass the exam, despite being the worst student in their class. He's the one with no skills save taijutsu, and no promise at all, at least none that anyone can see. His dream is to show everyone just how wrong they are, even himself.

Neji is the indifferent one, cold and beautiful and oftentimes rude. He's the one who sailed through the academy with flying colors, whose bloodline trait can't be stopped. He's the one with no dream at all, the boy who became a ninja because it was in his blood and he didn't know what else to do.

They couldn't be more different, but as time goes on, they'll find they are also the same.

**II. **Neji is sulking, that much is clear. He sits there, on the bank, watching the river flow by with white eyes, a frown on his face and a line between his brows. What he's thinking, Tenten can't tell, but she knows he's upset.

"Is it because you beat him this morning?" Lee whispers, mouth to her ear. They don't want their mercurial teammate overhearing.

Tenten shrugs, as far as she's concerned it was a fluke. This morning during training she was somehow a little quicker, or a little more devious, she isn't sure which, but her blade ended up at Neji's throat before he could strike her. It's the first time she's ever won a sparring match against him.

And losing is no reason to pout.

Turning back to her friend, Tenten looks him in the eye for a long time, communicating without words. She glances at the river, then Neji, and back again, and Lee grins like an idiot as he catches on to her plan. Speed is the key, as the Hyuga could even now be watching them, piecing together the puzzle.

Quickly, they run over to him, one on each side, and grab hold of his hands. Before he can protest, or fight the two of them off, they hurl themselves into the river, laughing. Neji is dragged under with them.

Sometime later, Lee cries for mercy, and a soaking wet Neji finally allows him to catch a breath. Turning, he stomps out of the river and leaves, but Tenten, clinging to a rock in midstream, already thoroughly drowned herself, sees the small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

She thinks it's worth it.

**III. **One of the earliest things they learn about each other is that they are all orphans.

Tenten was found on deep in the forest outside the village, a refugee child all alone, being menaced by bandits. Her father, the man who is now little more than a faint dream in her mind, was missing. Ninja later found his body, but no one told the tiny girl that, and she was carried off to Konoha and placed in the orphanage. Until Gai-sensei, the Hokage, with his infrequent visits, was the closest thing she had to a father.

Lee's story was a little different. His teenage mother had fallen in love with one of those same immigrants, had gotten pregnant, and had run away with him. No one really knew what happened after that, but Konoha's hospital called his grandmother and asked her to care for her only remaining relative, so she took baby Lee home. Having once been an elite ninja though, the lady was unimpressed by her grandson, and angry at her missing daughter, and she really didn't treat Lee very well. After graduation, Lee left to live with Gai-sensei. He only sees the old woman on holidays now.

Neji's story is known by everyone, although he never bothers to tell his teammates. That information they had to learn from Gai-sensei, who one night was just drunk enough to let it slip. The two children are horrified, and worried for their friend, but they never bring it up, continuing to pretend ignorance in his presence. Let him have his pride, it's the only thing left unscathed.

Somehow, they all become family to each other, and it is enough.

**IV. **How could this happen? The inn overbooked, all it can offer their travel-stained team is a small room, more like a closet, and a futon. One.

Gai frowns, and looks his team over. Maybe they should just continue? Another two days of walking, and they'll be back to the village anyway. When he realizes that Lee is sleeping where he stands, he gives up, and accepts.

That night is…uncomfortable. The futon takes up a good three quarters of the room they've been given, and Gai stretches out on the floor, taking up the rest. There is nowhere to change, no privacy available, so the three just turn and face one wall each, stripping their filthy clothes for some relief.

Lee goes all the way to his boxers, but leaves on the headband.

Neji just removes his jacket and the thin shirt he wears underneath, and dusts his shorts off as best he can.

Tenten unbuttons the top of her shirt, and slips off her pants, so that the boy shorts she's wearing underneath are visible. It's just a phase for her, this underwear, but she's glad of it. Neither boy ever realizes they are seeing her unmentionables.

They crawl into bed, Tenten in the middle and her teammates on either side, and spend one long night staring at the ceiling, trying not to touch one another.

Of course, accidents do happen, and poor Lee wakes up with a black eye.

**V. **They are at Tenten's apartment, resting. After the attack on their village by Orochimaru, they've been working night and day on any mission within their capabilities, trying to regain the world they once knew. In a few hours, they are supposed to go out again, to help with the repairs at the academy, but right now, everything is peaceful.

"Lee, have you seen Tsunade yet? Isn't she pretty?" Tenten still can't believe her idol has returned to the village, and is their new Hokage.

Lee, still swathed in bandages and with his crutch laying across his lap, has not been able to take part in their missions. In fact, he's rarely allowed out of the hospital, as the nurses believe his constant attempts to train will hurt him. It took the promises of both his teammates to the hospital administrator to even let him leave today. "Yes, I've seen her."

Their friend sounds so down that Tenten, laying on the floor with her head cradled on some pillows, sits up. Even Neji, half asleep on the futon, opens his eyes. "Lee, what's wrong?"

Their friend's hands curl into fists, and he drops his eyes, unable to meet their gaze. "She came and looked at me. Examined, I mean. And she said that I will never be a shinobi again." Although Tsunade made her diagnosis yesterday, Lee hadn't told them yet, as he's still trying to come to terms with it himself.

"That's it?" Tenten asks in disbelief. How could her hero be unable to heal Lee?

He shakes his head, but doesn't look up. "There's an operation I could have. Lady Tsunade herself would perform it. But at best there is a fifty-fifty chance that it would work."

"And if it doesn't?" Neji's voice is quiet. He thinks he already knows the answer.

"I'll die." Silence.

They sit there for a long time, trying to digest all of that, before Tenten realizes Lee is crying. She slides over to him, wraps her arms gently around his shaking shoulders. "It'll be alright, Lee."

The younger boy hiccups, wipes his face. "But what should I do?"

Neji comes and sits beside them, not touching, but close just the same. "Do what you must. It will be as it's fated."

Rock Lee sighs. His friends are no help at all, but he's grateful just the same.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: I went and did it, after I told myself I shouldn't. This is now a multi-chapter drabble collection thing, and I guess I'll see where it goes from here. Thanks for the reviews!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

**I. **She wakes to find herself in a hospital bed, all alone in an empty room. As she lays there, assessing her aches and pains, memory floods back.

The Chunin exams: the test, the Forest of Death, and finally, the one-on-one exam preliminaries. Watching match after match, and then, her own. She fights a ninja from the Land of Sand, some older girl she doesn't know. All her attacks rendered useless, and then a loss.

She losses. She wasn't supposed to lose.

_Neji and Lee probably passed with flying colors._

The sound of running feet in the hall outside catch her attention, and she sits up and glances out the door, just in time to see a large green blur hurry past.

"Gai-sensei!" Yelling hurts, but she wants so desperately to be acknowledged that she doesn't quit until her teacher returns and peers into the room.

"Ah, Tenten. There you are! How are you? I was just on my way to see Lee."

_So Lee's here too… Does that mean he lost?_

"Sensei, how did we do?" She wants so badly for Neji to have passed, wants all of this to be worth something to at least one person she loves.

Gai shakes his head. "I have to go, Tenten. I'll tell you later. Here, these are for you." He hands her a huge bouquet, and is gone.

Tenten stares down at the flowers: bright orange tiger lilies surrounded by dark green ferns. These aren't for her, and they never were. She was just the after-thought, the one who was forgotten.

She cries then.

**II. **They make camp one evening, just the four of them. For once there are no attempts at retrieving Sasuke, no annoying Naruto tagging along. It's almost like they're children again.

Gai heads off to a nearby stream to catch some fish, leaving his students to set up their campsite. Lee goes to gather firewood, and Neji begins to set up their respective tents. Tenten isn't feeling well, but she doesn't complain and strings a few traps around the site, just to be safe.

By the time Neji has the first tent staked up, Lee's feeding the fire and Tenten is mixing something from her pack into a mug. Neji recognizes some of the herbs being place into it, and turns away. What Tenten is doing is none of his business. He moves on to the next tent.

Lee seems to think it is though. "Tenten, was that a chocolate bar you just threw in there?"

She nods, and sets the metal mug next to the flames. "Yeah, but don't drink any of it, okay? I'll be right back." Stretching, she walks off into the forest for a pitstop.

Neji finishes the second tent in time to see Lee pick up Tenten's cup. "Lee, put that down." He uses his 'I'm-warning-you-and-I-know-what's-best' patient voice.

Lee grins, and Neji recognizes the same look that comes over the boy during one of his drunken fits. Before he can stop him, Lee drains half of the mixture.

"But, Neji, it isn't right for Tenten to keep this wonderful hot chocolate to herself! She won't mind that I took a sip." Lee burps.

Neji frowns. "You believe that was hot chocolate?"

"Yep."

No sooner does Lee speak than Tenten and Gai return. The former takes one look at her half empty mug and her brown eyes go wide. She looks from Lee to Neji and back again. "Who drank my medicine?"

"Medicine?" Lee's confused.

Neji just points.

"Ack, Lee, that was for my…"

Lee looks innocently at Tenten. "For your what, dearest Tenten?"

"Yes, my flower, what for?" Gai's curious too.

Tenten looks toward Neji for help, but the Hyuga has turned away and is working on the third tent. Sighing, she pinches the bridge of her nose, and her cheeks flush pink. "That was to keep me from having my period during this mission. The chocolate was just to make it taste better."

"Oh." The two males stand there stupefied as their minds process the information.

Finally, Gai comes to the real point. "Then, what's it going to do to Lee?"

**III. **Walking home from a formal festival one night, it begins to pour. Tenten whips out an old, lacquered umbrella and holds it aloft, determined not to let the rain ruin her borrowed kimono. A similarly dressed Neji ducks under the edge and squeezes next to her, trying to keep water spots from his own finery. But not Rock Lee.

The younger man throws off his orange overcoat, which lands with a splash in the mud, and dances down the road, leaping into every puddle he can find. The swinging paper lanterns cast strange shadows over the whole scene.

He's really too old for this.

"Lee, get back here! You'll catch a cold!" Tenten has to shout to be heard over the roar of the rain and the clash of thunder. Her concern is the same as ever.

And so is Neji's response. "He's an idiot."

But he's their idiot, and that makes all the difference.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Here it is, another chapter. I'm hard put to resist turning this into NejiTen, but rest assured, there will be no pairings. If you're after NejiTen though, please check out my other stories. Yes, that was a shameless plug. Thanks for the reviews!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

**I.** The summer is high and it hasn't rained for weeks. Outside the village, brush fires are becoming a problem, and inside, water use is restricted. Team Gai, along with all the other ninja hoping to spend time at the pool, find themselves very disappointed.

Rumors from the coast start up, whispers that a huge storm is developing out to sea. Fisherman claim to have seen the angry clouds building, but no one believes them back in Konoha. Chances are, it is a misinformation campaign by the Land of Waves. After a few days though, Tsunade sends out her own weather forecasters, and they return with troubling news. A typhoon is brewing.

Missions grind to a halt. Those inside the country's border seek shelter, while those outside are told not to come home.

Tenten's apartment becomes Team Gai's safe harbor. Gai's apartment, while costing far more than her own and having a better view, is too close to the mountain behind Konoha, and thus prone to flooding and landslides. And so he and Lee join her.

Shutters are placed over her three windows, and Tenten removes her bonsai from the small porch outside. Blankets are pulled out, and spread across the living room, candles stand ready, and flashlights are located at strategic locations. Coolers sit in the kitchen floor, ice filled and ready for the failing of the refrigerator's power.

"We can tell ghost stories!" Lee is excited. To him, this is one big sleepover.

Tenten is slightly more worried. What if her home is damaged? She doesn't have the savings to deal with that kind of catastrophe.

Gai is already snoring on the futon. Although this is the first typhoon his students really recall, he's seen plenty.

The wind picks up outside, and then comes the sound of rain, steady but not yet heavy. Tenten breathes a sight of relief. If this is all there is…

Abruptly, there is a banging on the door, and the two young ninja jump. Is it the wind? Are they going to have to listen to this for a whole day?

"It's an angry ghost!" Lee whispers dramatically, flipping on a flashlight and holding it under his face. It casts strange shadows that make his eyebrows look even larger.

Tenten thinks she feels a flare of chakra outside. Leaping off the floor, she hurries to the front door, and swings it open against the wind.

Standing there is one Neji Hyuga, soaked and looking less than pleased. The wind whips his hair into his face and he steps quickly inside. "Why did you not open the door sooner?"

Tenten forces it shut behind him and locks it, being careful not to slip in the puddle that is forming rapidly around her friend. She and Lee grin, and the Beautiful Green Beast throws him a towel. "No reason, sorry Neji."

He was supposed to ride out the storm at home with his family. Team Gai thinks it sweet that he changed his mind.

**II.** It's Tenten's party, and it is the smallest one she's had since leaving the orphanage. All of her friends are out on missions, or otherwise engaged, and all she has are Lee, Neji, and Gai. She's a little disappointed at first, but quickly reminds herself not to be stingy. If these three love her, that's all she needs.

"Tenten, open mine first! Please!" Lee loves parties, especially parties for people he loves.

Laughing, Tenten reaches for the green wrapped, orange-bowed gift. Whipping out a kunai, she cuts the gift-wrap off slowly and carefully, while Lee jumps up and down beside her, impatient.

"Tenten, we don't have all day."

Neji's reminder is annoying. Sure, they have a mission later, but this is her party, and she'll take as long as she wants. She does speed it up though, slicing the paper off with record speed. "Uh…what's this?"

Lee is grinning from ear to ear. "It's an alarm clock, Tenten. The loudest, most durable one we could find."

Gai chimes in, "Now you won't sleep through your youth anymore, my sunflower." He's smiling too.

So, she has a little trouble waking up in the mornings? So what? "Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

Neji slides a box across the table to her. Around it is an ivory colored ribbon. "Lady Hinata wrapped it," he explains. It's the truth, although judging by their faces he isn't believed. "She wanted me to tell you 'Happy Birthday.'"

Tenten opens the box carefully, and smiles. Nestled inside is a birthday card signed the Hyuga family, and underneath that, laid on silk, is an ancient set of chain mail. She grins happily, already imagining the things she could do with it. Would Neji's Gentle Fist pierce through it?

"Tenten?"

She jumps to find her teammates staring at her, and she smiles. This birthday turned out just fine after all.

**III. **"Is he joking?" It's all Tenten can think to say.

"No." Neji can tell perfectly well their teacher isn't. But he wishes it were so, and he doesn't even like jokes.

They watch in horror as Gai outfits Lee with what must be one hundred pounds of weights.

"How do they feel, Lee?"

The younger boy is firmly rooted to the spot. He throws their sensei a salute. "Excellent, sir! But, shouldn't I be able to move?"

Gai strikes a pose. "That will all come later. Trust me! Wear these around, and you are sure to become much stronger. Why, I myself use this method." He seems lost in fond memories.

Lee is awe-inspired. How great he shall become! Just like his idol!

Tenten leans over to Neji and whispers very quietly, "Do you want to go get a milkshake or something?"

While Neji does not want a milkshake, he does want to get out of here, before Gai gets the brilliant idea to fit them all. He stands and heads toward the door, Tenten creeping after him.

Somehow, Gai hears them. "Ah yes, a milkshake is an excellent idea, so long as it's low fat! Let us go, my team!" He's after them in a moment.

"Wait for me!" Lee struggles along behind.

With milkshakes as motivation, he will surely be a great ninja!


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: More Team Gai randomness. As always, thanks for your reviews!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

**I. **Neji is the mission's first casualty, but it's an accident, plain and simple.

After Naruto's team returned from the Land of Snow full of grand tales, Gai-sensei immediately volunteered his students for deployment in that far off, freezing place. Although they would only be scouts, looking for renegade ninja, and not bringing down a corrupt, false government and protecting a princess, his students were still excited. After all, living in Konoha, they rarely get to see snow. This whole mission would be a new and exciting experience.

And it was. At the sight of falling snow, Lee gives a whoop and Tenten grins, and the two hurry out into the storm, frolicking through the flakes. Lee tries catching them on his tongue, while Tenten begins rolling snowballs of different sizes to test them as projectiles. Gai smiles at their youthfulness.

Neji, however, is not youthful. He takes one look at the falling, frozen rain and retreats under the edge of a large fir tree. Here he stays relatively warm and dry. Deciding to meditate, he closes his eyes, but doesn't sit down. No reason to end up with a wet behind, and maybe a cold. His teammates will come to regret their rash actions, he's sure.

"Neji, get out there and show some spirit!" Gai strikes a pose and points toward meadow where Lee and Tenten are living it up. For once he'd like to see the prodigy act his age. Or at least show some enthusiasm.

Neji opens eyes the color of snow and gives his sensei a flat look. He sees no reason to debase himself. Hyuga simply have too much dignity to go running about like…children.

"Now!" Tired of his attitude, Gai hurls a kunai. It flies past the Hyuga and lodges in the trunk of the tree behind him.

Neji glares, and steps from under the fir's canopy, only to be completely buried in an avalanche dislodged from its branches. Gai's kunai apparently had quite a bit of power behind it.

Lee and Tenten can only stare.

**II. **Lee is the second, but it's his own fault.

They have just fought off some rogue ninja, and the Land of Snow's small shinobi force is chasing down the remainder while Team Gai cleans up their mess.

Or rather, Tenten's mess. Weapons are scattered everywhere, buried in the snow, stuck in the trees, laying along the cliff on the side of the road, and lodged into the two bodies of dead ninja.

Tenten does her best to pull the weapons back with her chakra strings, but most will have to be retrieved manually.

Gai pulls a windmill shuriken from a body. "I think you overdid it, my youthful flower!" Although dealing with corpses is just another part of a shinobi's life, he likes to spare his young students when he can.

Tenten shrugs, and lifts a tonfa from where it's fallen. She didn't really mean to cause such a problem, but the ambush was rather unexpected and she got a little excited. That's all.

Neji scans the area with his Byakugan. Does Tenten really need all the makibishi he sees underneath the snow? Can't they just leave them? He's tempted not to say anything.

Lee wipes his wet forehead with his palm. He's dressed warmly, and though it's freezing, the fight has caused him to work up a sweat. Reaching out, he wraps his hand around the metal hilt of an oversized kunai that has become stuck in a tree trunk, and tugs. Hard.

"OWW!"

Rock Lee manages to freeze his damp hand to a cold weapon.

This is going to be a long mission.

**III. **Gai is the third, but you can blame nature for that one. And maybe old, incorrect maps.

They were tracking the enemy, providing assistance for the nation's small corps of shinobi. Unfortunately, their quarry got away, and when they turned around to return to base, Team Gai found themselves lost.

Gai pulls out their map, and a compass, and they stand there in the cold trying to make sense of it.

"Gai-sensei, do you even know where we are?" Tenten's a little nervous. Normally, she has an excellent sense of where she's at, but in this white world, nothing makes sense. "Maybe we should ask for directions."

Surprisingly, quite a few people live in the Land of Snow. There is bound to be a village nearby.

"We'd have to make it to a village first," Neji clarifies, using his eyes to scan the terrain. If only he could find a landmark that could be matched to the map.

Lee just thinks really hard, trying to remember the way they came. 'Let's see. There was a rock, and a tree…' He isn't getting very far. They were running pretty fast after all.

Finally, Gai makes a decision. "We shall head east!" With a flourish, he points to the cardinal direction, and they pick up their packs and head off toward the still rising sun. Gai leads, confident.

They've gone maybe three hundred yards when the ground underneath them gives a deep growl. The three students freeze at the sound, but Gai keeps on walking. Almost immediately, he disappears with a spectacular splash.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee can't believe this. He tries to run ahead, but his teammates latch onto him.

"Are we on a lake?" Tenten asks the obvious question, and she and Neji drag Lee back a few feet. No sense in them falling in as well.

"Apparently," is Neji's answer, and he already uncoiling a rope pulled from his pouch. He wraps it around Tenten's waist a few times and ties off the knot. "Crawl out there and get him."

"I'll do it!" Lee is frantic with worry.

"No, let Tenten. She weighs the least."

And so Tenten crawls out, belly down along the ice until she can reach her frozen, sputtering sensei. Then the two boys pull them back to shore, while underneath the ice moans and vibrates and small cracks appear. They make it to safety just a large chunk breaks off and sinks.

Gai looks like a popsicle, but he will live. "Guess we better not head east," he says, teeth chattering.

Tenten has a nasty rope burn around her middle. She is the mission's last casualty.

**IV. **The princess herself thanks them for their hard work. She smiles at Tenten and signs an autograph, bows politely to Neji, who just bows back, and gives Lee a little peck on the cheek. The young man almost passes out.

They leave then, waving good-bye and dragging Gai with them.

He wanted a kiss, too.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A Potrait of Youth**

If one were to ask, all three members of Team Gai would probably declare their failure at that first Chunin Exam to be their most embarrassing moment. And while it was certainly their most widely seen, public error, it was not the greatest humiliation suffered by any of them. Not even close.

**I. **The most embarrassing thing that ever happens to Neji is not his loss to Naruto in the Chunin Exam Finals, nor is it being knocked out by curry, or even being toted around by Lee. Neji's most embarrassing moment occurs much, much earlier.

When they are eleven years old, a newly formed, untested team, Gai sends them out to do charity work. And so after training they head to their first stop, Konoha's only rest home. The nurse there smiles when she sees them, hands them aprons, gives instructions and leaves. To both boys' chagrin, the aprons are pale pink. Still, they put them on and get to work.

"So, we just dispense these medications to the err… elderly people? Isn't that something that should be done by a qualified professional?" Tenten is worried. What if they give the wrong medications out? What if someone dies?

"But Tenten, the nurse told us to do this! It's a mission!" Lee is excited. The grandmothers have been fawning over him since they arrived.

Neji looks at the list of patient names, medications, and dosages the woman provided. Nearby are glass jars full of pills, all neatly labeled. There is also a cutting board, knife, and little plastic cups. All they have to do is get the correct pills, check the doses, and hand them out. Not a problem, right?

He starts by getting the correct medications for a person, and then decides just how much they need. Tenten cuts the pills if necessary, then double-checks him and puts all the tablets into a plastic cup labeled with the person's name. Lee, because he's so good with people, takes the cup over to the elderly patient (checking the name on the cup against the person's name tag) and makes sure they take their medicine.

Everything is fine, until one old man decides he doesn't feel like waiting for his erectile dysfunction pill. He wheels himself over to the table where Neji and Tenten are working, and with his faulty eyesight, promptly whacks Neji on the butt.

"Hurry up there, Sugar."

Neji would have made a pretty girl if he hadn't been so busy doing the pissed Hyuga look.

Tenten and Lee are laughing so hard that they are unable to step in and hold their friend back. If it hadn't been for the return of the nurse at that precise moment, Neji probably would have killed that old man.

**II. **Years later, Tenten has her own moment. In retrospect, it's pretty innocent, given that her team were the only witnesses. As if that makes it any better. In this case, it may be worse.

They are fifteen, staying at an inn in the countryside and taking a relaxing vacation. Gai says it's a well earned rest after all the missions they've been taking.

After dinner her teammates excuse themselves and head off to immerse themselves in the bath. Tenten remains behind, picking idly at her plate and reading a book about some of the more uncommon weapons that can be found in Suna. When she realizes that she's no longer hungry, just eating the tasty food out of boredom, she stops.

_I guess I can go bathe, too. _It's a good idea. She hasn't had a leisurely soak in a long time, mostly because she hasn't had the chance. The Land of Sand isn't famous for its water, after all.

She stands and leaves their common room, still reading her book. It's describing various types of poisons now, and is so interesting she can't bear to close it. When she reaches a stopping point she'll undress and climb in. She can leave her book safely in the basket in the changing room.

Whether she's so absorbed in her reading, or whether she hears the voices of her teammates in the next door bath and unconsciously heads toward them, she doesn't know. In retrospect, all that matters is that it was an accident.

She slips into the changing room, closes her book, and pulls off her clothing quickly. Grabbing a towel from a nearby rack, she slides open the door and enters.

Only to realize she's come into the men's bath by mistake.

"Uh, Tenten?" Gai is thoroughly confused.

Lee has fainted and may be about to drown.

Neji is looking anywhere but at her.

It is the worst moment of her life.

**III. **Lee's humiliation is viewed by the most people, the exact number of which are still undetermined but generally believed to be about half of Konoha. He's thirteen, finally healed after his operation and the fight with Kimimaro, and ready to continue training. After wearing both Gai-sensei and Tenten out, he's desperate for a more taxing form of physical activity.

"Lee," Gai pants, collapsed on the ground, "your next mission is to swim against the current of the river on the edge of town for as long as you can. Now, go!"

Lee salutes and heads off into the late afternoon sun.

Reaching the river, he realizes he doesn't have his swimsuit. He nervously paces back and forth on the bank for a long time. Should he get in as is? No, there's no telling what would happen to his awesome spandex suit. It could shrink or something. Go home and get his trunks? What if Gai-sensei comes to check on him and he isn't here? He'll _fail._

Finally, Lee sighs and quickly slips from his clothes, sliding naked into the warm water. Naruto once mentioned swimming like this, so it can't be that bad, can it? And with no one around, it's probably okay.

Actually, once you get going, it feels kind of nice.

Lee swims hard for more than an hour. As the sun sinks and the river falls into shadow he climbs out and reaches for his clothes, only to find they are missing. Whirling around, he catches sight of a shadowy figure disappearing into the forest, and gives chase.

Unfortunately for him, he ends up streaking down Konoha's main avenue after a grinning Naruto Uzumaki who's waving the green suit like a flag.

There is a plus side, however. For months after the incident, girls actually hit on him for a change.

* * *

_Man, I'm mean to them. We always hurt what we love, right? Lee and Tenten's moments were almost the same, and I think all of these had probably been done by other authors at some point, so it wasn't really that original, but I tried to put my own take on it. I apologize if I did it badly, and I hope you liked it._


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A Portrait of Youth**

They are twelve that first time the go to Tanzaku Town, innocent and excited to finally be on a mission away from the village. Really it's not much different from their regular assignments as they are just delivering mail, but they are outside in the real world, and that in itself is enough to hype them up. The sights, sounds, and smells of the city do the rest.

Tanzaku can only be described as busy. The town is a mercantile heaven, but it is also a paradise for gamblers and those who enjoy the seedier side of life. People are everywhere, some honest, many dishonest, and Gai cautions his youthful students to be on their guard. He does not, however, squash their curiosity, and allows them to spend their money on whatever they wish.

An old lady compliments Rock Lee on his ninja forehead protector, telling him he looks rather handsome wearing it. Then she asks him if he'd like to buy a lottery ticket, and Lee is so overwhelmed and flustered that he immediately buys three. Behind him, Neji gives a little snort and Tenten flushes.

Lee steps away from the booth with his tickets and a pencil, intending to fill them out.

"Lee, you know those things are rigged. Why did you do that?" Tenten can't believe her friend just fell for a street vendor's pitch. He could have bought a decent meal (or a box of shuriken) with the money. They have known each other for more than a year now, but sometimes Tenten just doesn't understand him.

"Ah, Tenten, if I take the initiative, surely I will win!" Ever since he overcame the odds and became a ninja, Lee believes he can do anything, despite the fact that he's still the least talented member of their team.

Neji eyes him disdainfully. How dumb can the boy be? Every mission finds him revising his estimation of Lee's intelligence. "Lee, it's a game of chance, not skill. And as Tenten said, it's rigged. You'll never win." There, surely he understood that.

Lee ignores his Hyuga rival, as he's too busy thinking of his lotto numbers. On the first paper he calmly writes the number twelve three times. "Our ages," he explains, completely serious.

Tenten and Neji just gape. Even Gai looks surprised. Can you even use the same number three times? Isn't it impossible for a number appear more than once? Especially when it's a Pick Three game?

The numbers three, one, and two are scribbled next. "There are three of us, this is our first mission outside the village, and it's two o'clock in the afternoon."

Oh, gods. Surely he's kidding?

"This is stupid," Neji murmurs, turning away. Across the street, a scantily dressed woman who is probably a prostitute waves at him and blows a kiss. Neji rolls his eyes and turns back to his team. The novelty of this trip is quickly wearing off.

Tenten, hands on hips, is now berating Lee. "Look, it's bad enough that you had to spend your money on this game in the first place, but now you're picking completely dumb number combinations. Lee, you're never going to win like this!" She pauses for air.

Gai steps in and stops her. "Tenten, my sunflower, take it easy! Allow Lee to pick whatever numbers he believes in. This game has ignited his youthful spirit, and besides, while hard work is important, life is sometimes about luck." He's treating this as a learning experience.

Lee is thinking hard, the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth. This is his last card, and he's desperate to pick good numbers. Tenten, Neji, and anyone who thinks the lotto cannot be won, he shall prove them all wrong! An idea occurs to him, and he turns to Tenten. "What's your birthday again?"

Tenten stops tapping her foot and looks at her teammate suspiciously. "March ninth, why?" Lee is being so weird today, she can't help but worry. Then again, Lee is always weird.

Lee writes it down with a smile, and turns to Neji. "And yours?"

Neji just stares at him. There's no way he's going to become a part of this.

"Please, Neji. Together our three fine birthdays shall win the lottery and it will be the talk of this town for months afterward!"

Neji does not look convinced.

While Tenten doubts that they will be the 'talk of the town' as Lee described it, she does want this to hurry up and be over with. "His birthday's July third, Lee." Neji shoots her a look that clearly says she needs to shut her mouth. She ignores him.

"Excellent! Thank you, dear Tenten!" Lee jots it down and then adds November twenty-seventh. Finally, his tickets are complete.

He rushes back to the old lady and hands her a carbon copy of his tickets. She smiles and tells him what excellent numbers he's picked, and reminds him to be back in an hour for the draw. "Then we'll find out if you won!"

Lee hurries back to his teammates, and they continue the tour of the town.

* * *

Gai shows them around, taking them everywhere, even into the poorer slums, insisting they familiarize themselves with the area. "When you are older, and able to enter these sordid establishments, my wonderful students, you may be sent on missions here. Often, these places serve as havens to those disreputable dirt-bags we seek."

Lee takes notes, Tenten nods, and Neji just wipes his sandal on the curb. He thinks he's stepped in something. What, he'd rather not discuss.

Across the street, a man stumbles out of a dilapidated building adjusting his fly. A heavily made-up woman leans out of an upper story window and waves goodbye, laughing.

"Sensei, what was that all about?" Lee is round eyed and amazed. With all that paint, the lady must be an actress, and this must be a kabuki theater. Are they going to see a play?

Gai strikes a pose that is even more disturbing than his usual one. "I'm glad you asked, Lee. While we're here, I shall take this glorious opportunity to explain to you all that wonder of wonders we call 'the birds and the bees!' Prepare to be amazed, but please remember to save the passionate experiences I am about to mention until you are older."

Is he joking? When he begins to explain the dance of love with sock puppets, they know he isn't.

* * *

Fifty-two minutes later three very enlightened and disturbed students begin clamoring to go home. After Gai's lecture, Tenten finds she can't concentrate, Lee's getting tired, and Neji had never wanted to be here anyway. They begin heading toward the gate of the town.

"Wait, I have not received my lottery results!" Lee's shout stops them dead in their tracks.

"Oh, come on Lee, you know you aren't gonna win. Let's just go home." Tenten had planned to go shopping for some senbon, but now she can't bear the thought of hanging out with her sensei. Not after he made them all repeat the correct anatomical terms right there in the middle of the street.

Gai comes to his pupil's defense. "No, Lee must see this errand through to the end. It shall be awe-inspiring! Now, let us return to the lottery booth for the drawing!" He points back down the way the have come and with an audible sigh his students follow.

The make it there just in time. A few other people have gathered round, but for the most part the area stands empty. Lee pulls his tickets out and hands one to either teammate, asking them to please keep track for him. It would be a shame if he missed out on a number.

Neji and Tenten look at the papers in their hands and frown. As if.

The old lady pulls a ball with a number painted on the side from a large basket. "Our first number is three," she shouts while Lee smiles and Neji and Tenten blanch. Lee has three written on everyone of his tickets.

"There has to be a mistake," Tenten murmurs while the lady turns the basket and pulls another ball.

"Our next number is nine!"

'This is impossible,' Neji thinks.

There are a few groans and some people around them leave, having already lost. Neji and Tenten both rip their tickets in half. Only one of them is still worth anything, and that one is in Lee's hands.

"And, our last number for the afternoon is--" The old lady pauses for dramatic suspense.

Lee's eyes are glowing and he's practically dancing with excitement. Gai is exhilarated as well. Tenten can barely stand the suspense. Neji can already see what's written on the ball, and he is not happy. What kind of fate is this, to give an idiot like Lee a lucky break?

"Our last number is twenty-seven!"

"I won!" Lee leaps up to the front of the small crowd with his ticket and the old lady smiles at him.

Gai cries salty tears at the victory of his pupil.

As a hefty sum is handed over to Lee, Tenten turns to Neji. "There will be no living with him now."

The Hyuga just sighs. He's never coming back to Tanzaku Town if he can help it.

* * *

_That was actually a little longer than I would normally write, but I don't think it was a worthy stand alone story, so here it ends up. Thank you so much for my reviews! I received five for the last chapter! That's a record. You guys are wonderful!_


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A Portrait of Youth**

It has always been like this, ever since they were young. Gai will call them out very early, and as a form of training and source of team bonding they will play a game. This will happen a couple of times a month, everyone dutifully suffering through it, and as soon as it's over, they'll go back to being like any other team.

The difference this time is that they are no longer children. Not legally, for they are all now eighteen years old, nor emotionally, as they have looked upon the face of Orochimaru, fought the Akatsuki, seen friends die. Childhood is something they abandoned long ago, and it's beginning to weigh heavily on their souls.

But they still remain Gai's faithful children, still learn from him, even if they are no longer technically his students, but shinobi in their own right, equal to him. And that's why they drag themselves out of bed at four-thirty in the morning to meet him at one of Konoha's forest training grounds.

Their sensei greets them at the gate in the predawn light, strikes a pose. It isn't filled with his usual vigor, it's early after all, and he's getting older. Another thing that's changed. The smile they receive is the same, however, and that's reassuring. "Good morning, Lee, Neji, Tenten! I suppose you are wondering why I called you out here?"

_Yeah_, they all think, and Tenten tries to hide a yawn.

Gai pulls a bright red piece of cloth from his pouch, tosses it to Tenten. She catches it on reflex, realization slowly dawning in her brown eyes. "You're going to play Combat Tag. Tenten will be It."

Combat Tag is something they invented a long time ago, wherein one person holds the cloth, or "flag" and tries to keep it away from the others. Almost anything goes, as it's your basic free for all, times three very competitive players. And when Tenten is It, there is little chance of the other two working together.

They could refuse him, could go home and go back to bed. They are too old for this, after all. For a moment, it looks as though Neji will, but Lee and Tenten look so damn excited that he holds his tongue and gives a little nod of consent.

Gai cries tears of joy as Tenten tucks the red flag into the waistband of her pants where she can best guard it. All three students stretch a few times, and then they take their places at the line Gai had previously drawn in the dirt. Although this often proves to be a game of speed, Lee leaves on his leg weights.

"Ready?" Gai calls out. His students lean forward, shifting their feet, feeling for a grip.

"Get set." They are already, anxious and coiled like a spring.

"Go!" Gai roars, so loud that a few sleeping birds are woken, and they squawk and take wing to the east where the sun will soon rise. By the time he tears his glance away from them, his team is long gone, only the flat grass where they stood proving they were ever there at all.

Gai settles himself down on a tree stump, and waits.

* * *

Tenten rushes along the ground, straining to see. Here in the deep forest, under the heavy trees, it's darker than it was back at the training ground gate. Often she doesn't see the large trunks until she nearly runs into them. Turning her head quickly, she spots Neji hurtling along behind her, a pale streak here in the darkness. He will catch her soon, he's always been incredibly fast.

She looks upward, and around, but can't locate Lee. Not that it matters. Although he always makes sure to give them a ten second head start, he invariably catches up before long. And with the inky, silent world surrounding them, plus his green outfit serving as camouflage, he could be nearly next to her and she wouldn't know.

Tenten has precious seconds, and then she will have to make a stand, fight the two of them. She only hopes she can find a good place to do that at. And that no accidents happen.

Thank goodness this is just a game.

A moment passes, and now she can hear Neji behind her, breathing slowly and steadily. Desperate, she ducks around a tree and rushes off in a new direction, and the swift juke saves her. Neji losses a step, falls a little bit behind. With her small body, she can cut corners much faster than he can, and she now makes it a point to do this every time she gets the chance.

A blur moves in from her left, her mind recognizing Lee, and she panics because he's getting very close. Just a few seconds and this will be a taijutsu battle. She vaguely wonders who will end up with the flag next; Lee or Neji?

Tenten leaps over a fallen, rotting log and speeds forward, unaware that she's rushing straight toward the top of a hill. The incline is so gradual, and their memories of this terrain so shady, that none of them notice.

Twisting around another tree, she glances over her shoulder, but then her feet hit grass still wet with early morning dew and slide from under her, threatening to drop her down the steep slope that is the hill's other side. Swift fingers laced with chakra dig into the bark of the tree at her side, just barely saving her from falling.

Neji goes running by then, and she sees the surprise in his face as his feet go flying and he realizes his sudden error. His hand flies back, latching onto one of her arms, and the weight of it tears her hand from the tree. Now she's holding on with one hand, and her teammate is slipping off the other, and she can only wonder if he'll fall first or if they'll go together.

Lee appears at that moment, but he so fast that he doesn't have time to hit the brakes or reach out to them, and for a swift second hangs in midair, before falling the rest of the way down the hill. They can hear him splatter in something at the bottom, but it's too dark to see. And he doesn't call back up to them.

Oh gods, what if he's dead?

Neji loses his grip on her hand and drops silently over the precipice. Tenten watches in horror as his white outfit disappears into the darkness. And she's left alone for one agonizing moment to reflect on this horrible mess.

_We really are too old for this._

And then the bark actually tears off the tree and crumbles in her hand, and nothing is supporting her, and she plummets toward the earth with a little gasp.

It's a good drop, twenty feet or more nearly straight down, she can't tell, bounced and flung as her body is. Jagged pieces of rock and tree limbs snag at her, and she tries to catch on to anything within reach using chakra, but she's falling so fast. Too fast.

Tenten lands at the bottom with a crunch, flat atop Neji, who is sprawled across a barely conscious, face down Lee. Both boys groan at the impact, and her head rings. She's probably struck it on something.

"Oww." No one knows who says it. Maybe it tears itself from three throats at once.

"Where are we?" It's even darker here than up in the forest, almost as though it were midnight and not time for the sun to be rising. Tenten can't see a thing, and she's almost afraid to move. What if they are on a ledge with further still to fall? Or if someone's got a broken neck?

Neji activates the Byakugan and glances around, although he can't see much with Tenten reclined against him. Can't she get her elbow out of his stomach? At least, he reflects briefly, eyes straining against the blackness, it's not his groin. "It's alright. We're in a creek bottom." Water drips slowly down the sandy center just a few feet away.

Lee, face down in the mud, mumbles something. Realizing he can't breath, the other two make it their top priority to get of off him, although it takes some time to untangle all their limbs. Miraculously, nothing is broken. The worst they have suffered is clinging mud and scratches.

"Well," Tenten says, after washing her face in the barely moving water of the creek, "that was interesting." It's all she can think to say.

Neji just looks at her, and pulls another stick from his hair. It's obvious he's blaming her for the entire episode. His clothes are so dirty that they are ruined.

Lee spits out a mouthful of sand and grins in triumph. He raises his hand and his teammates look on in amazement, for there clutched in his fist is the tattered red flag.

"I win! Unless you want to play again?"

Neji and Tenten sigh and shake their heads. The are definitely too old for games like Combat Tag. Maybe they should learn to bingo, or play shogi.

* * *

Arriving back at the starting line some time later and much worse the wear, they find Gai-sensei asleep in the warm summer sun and vow never to wake before dawn for him again.

* * *

_I did not mean for this to be so long. My apologies. This was just an experiment for me, trying to write something slightly action-packed but keep the humor. Not sure I like how it came out, sorry if anyone was disappointed. Rest assured, I still have lots of ideas for this story. Thanks for your reviews!_


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Thanks for all my reviews. This story contains odd cures for a certain problem that I once heard about. While I don't put much truth into one of them, I figured Gai might, and thus this chapter. It's a little out there, but bear with me._

**A Portrait of Youth**

After they all three advanced upward through the ninja ranks one summer, the members of Team Gai were feeling a little out of sorts with their new status. As shinobi in their own right, were they still even a squad? Was their friendship over? Minds needed to be put at ease, and so as soon as they were all healed from their respective battles and excused from their new duties, their former sensei gathered them up and ushered them to the seashore for some youthful team bonding.

From the moment they step onto the beach, all is chaos. Lee takes off for the roaring blue waves, a bright orange streak racing toward the water. Gai sobs at the beauty of it all while Tenten drops their stuff and spreads the large, comfy blanket. Neji stabs their oversized umbrella into the sand.

In moments, everything is set up. The two saner members of the group apply their sunscreen (Neji's has a particularly high SPF, perfect for pale Hyuga skin) and then plop down onto the blanket to watch Rock Lee. Neither one feels like joining him, as they would have rather swam in the pool back at the inn, and they sit there in silence for a good ten minutes.

Eventually, Gai notices and becomes concerned. "Neji, Tenten! Where is your spark? Your vigor? Your lively, youthful selves?" He clasps his hands together, face the very picture of a worried sensei.

Tenten can't ever remember Neji being described as lively and youthful by anyone, but that's beside the point. Gai-sensei's always been crazy, so why would he have stopped now?

Neji silently seconds the thought. He's always been impressed by his teacher's skills, but the man really is an idiot.

Gai continues as though they aren't staring at him as if he's suddenly grown a horn from his head. "You shall go on a mission! And find the biggest, most beautiful seashell on the beach! You shall blind Lee with your burning determination! It will be--"

Tenten has stopped listening, as her mind has already picked out the main message of Gai's elaborate oration. Find a big shell. It sounds incredibly boring, but at least it's something to do. Besides, it's a beautiful day, all blue skies and bird calls and light breezes. No sense in being down.

She smiles an invitation at Neji and stands up. Her friend frowns, maybe rolls his eyes (it's often too hard to tell) and climbs to his feet. He follows her slowly down the long, sandy beach.

They walk for maybe half a mile, with Tenten picking up one shell after another. Each has its own special attributes; shiny, patterned oddly, shaped strangely, colorful, large. And yet none seem to be the shell Gai sent them to find. Eventually, Tenten's spirits fall, and she puts them all down. "This is stupid," she mutters.

Neji just looks at her as if to say it's her fault for accepting the mission in the first place. He's the team leader, after all. He should pick the missions. And he definitely would not have picked this one.

Lee catches up to them before their objective is accomplished, tells them that it's time for lunch, and then disappears in a whirlwind, heading back toward the picnic basket. Neji blinks sand from his sensitive eyes while Tenten brushes it out of her hair. Stomachs growling, they hurry down the deserted beach after him, wondering if there will be any food left.

There isn't really. All the goodies packed by the hotel staff, the watermelon, shaved ice, and sushi platter are gone. As are the curry, pork buns, soft drinks, and water Tenten had added.

Gai and Lee look like grotesquely colored, hugely bloated whales.

All that's left to eat are some rice balls and that nasty tea that Neji loves. The two share the meager meal, with Tenten feeling like throwing up on every bitter mouthful of tea. Neji seems perfectly content though, even finishing the rice ball Tenten couldn't, although he cuts off any parts she may have bitten into. They may have grown up, but Neji still seems to believe in cooties.

With lunch finished, Gai blows up his brightly colored beach ball and proceeds to kick it across the sand. Lee straps on his mask and snorkel and races back toward the water.

"Lee, you're not supposed to swim right after-- Oh, never mind," Tenten huffs. Since they are both Chunin now, she really shouldn't have to keep baby-sitting Lee like this. It's ridiculous.

"Idiot," Neji mutters, methodically reapplying his sunscreen. Although he and Lee have come a long way, he still has days where he wishes the kid would drown. This is one of them.

Tenten makes it worse when she stands up and points in the direction they haven't yet traveled. "Let's go that way."

"And do what, exactly?" Neji inquires. He seriously hopes she's given up on that retarded mission Gai set them. Of course, he could stay here and let her do it by herself, but then his teacher might get the idea to talk with him. He's had his "youth sentence" quota already today, thank you.

Tenten really can't believe him sometimes. Is he being sarcastic, or stupid? "We're supposed to find a giant shell, remember?"

So she hasn't forgotten. Neji sighs, and stands up to follow her.

Eventually, they come to a tidal pool. Tenten is amazed, pointing at this animal and that, even touching some of them, although she's very careful to avoid one or two. Neji even feels interested, and activates the Byakugan for a better look.

And then they see it, sort of buried in the sand at the bottom. It's a huge, pointed shell, as big as Tenten's head, with a strange round swirling pattern. It's the largest, most unique one they've seen all day.

"That's the one!" Tenten cries happily, lifting it with both hands from it's watery prison. She examines it quickly before holding it up to her ear.

Neji has a bad feeling about the whole thing. "Tenten--"

"Shh," she whispers, shooting him a look. "I can hear the ocean." Her smile could rival Gai's.

That's the dumbest thing Neji has ever heard. "Of course you can hear the ocean. We're standing twenty feet away and the tide is coming in."

"That's not what I mean," she says. Her teammate had misunderstood as usual. "Inside the shell."

She goes to hold it out toward him, and abruptly a claw reaches out and latches onto the thick braid by her ear. Tenten gives a little scream, drops the shell, and the animal comes free with a sucking sound. It doesn't let go, and the shell almost smashes her big toe. "Neji, get it off," she whimpers.

She sounds so pitiful that Neji almost wants to laugh. But he's a Hyuga, and they don't do that kind of stuff, so he settles for a self-satisfied smirk and proceeds to remove the odd crab. It really does serve her right. He tried to warn her, after all.

The sun is beginning to set and they can just make out Gai-sensei down the beach. They should be leaving soon. "We should head back," Neji says, watching Tenten watch the crab drag himself away. "Do you want the shell?"

"No, thank you," she snaps, flipping her braid back. The crab managed to scratch her neck with its other claw and it hurts. "Let's just go."

She heads off, stomping awkwardly through the sand, and doesn't look back.

Neji picks up the shell. Years of working with Tenten have taught him that she'll change her mind later when she's feeling better and want it. Carrying the thing now is an investment in his sanity later. It means he won't have to hear about the shell that was left behind for the rest of their careers.

They are halfway back when Lee begins screaming. Tenten's heart leaps into her throat and she takes of running. Neji remembers the Chunin Exam bout with Gaara of the Sand-- it sounds that bad-- and picks up speed. He get's there first and drops the shell.

Lee lies soaked and wet just above the tide line. His body is a rash of welts, red, raw, and angry. By now the horrible screaming has stopped and he's groaning dazedly, his thin body jerking in painful spasms.

"Lee!" Tenten cries, falling to her knees beside him. "What happened?" Tears well up in her eyes as she observes her friend's pain.

"Jellyfish," Gai says. He's already bawling.

"He's not going to die, is he?" Gods, to lose Rock Lee to a jellyfish.

Gai shakes his head, salty tears flying off his face with the movement. They splatter on his students, who are by now oblivious. "The o-only things that will s-stop the p-pain are vinegar and urine."

Tenten looks shocked. Urine? Surely her teacher is wrong about that? She can't remember her survival classes though, and they have no vinegar. Neji doesn't speak up; does that mean he agrees with her? She's always been decisive, so she pulls herself together and nods. "Do it, then."

Gai wails even louder. "I- I can't. I went just before he was stung."

Eww. More than anyone needed to know. Tenten pushes the thought aside, gritting her teeth, feeling a little disgusted and a whole lot worried. "Then what will we do?"

A long moment passes while Lee groans and Gai cries more. Finally, the Green Beast manages to complete a coherent sentence. "Neji will have to do it."

Both Tenten and Gai turn to look at their squad mate. Neji has backed away and is staring at them just as hard. Silence.

"Please, Neji?" Tenten is disgusted with herself for even asking (she doesn't want to see that part of her friend's anatomy) but Lee needs help.

"No." As far as Neji is concerned, his word on the matter is final. The other two aren't as sure, and they try again.

"But Neji," Gai pleads, "You're the only one who can!"

What is Gai, sexist? Why can't Tenten do it? "Hell no. I am not peeing on Lee."

"Neji, he's in pain!" Tenten isn't sure if she should keep pushing it, but she doesn't know what else to do. If Neji won't help, then it's up to…

"You do it then." The Hyuga crosses his arms and frowns down at her.

Alright, time to quit pushing. Her face must be as red as that crab.

On the sand between them, Lee moans and gives a little twitch.

Tenten jumps up and strides away, trying to collect her thoughts. Gai can't, Neji won't, and that only leaves her. Still, the idea of squatting over her teammate and-- But she needs to help him somehow.

What to do?

She glances down to find the picnic basket beside her. There, sticking out of the hamper, is the thermos holding Neji's bitter tea. A light bulb goes on inside Tenten's head. Not vinegar, but almost.

She hurries back to Lee's side, twisting off the cap. Before Neji can protest, she dumps the contents all over their friend, who jerks even harder than before. After a long moment though, he stops and lies still. Seconds pass, and Tenten is beginning to fear that she killed him. Finally, though, he opens blurry eyes.

"Oww," he whispers, voice hoarse. "Tenten? Gai-sensei? Neji? What happened?"

Gai pushes past Tenten and throws his arms around Lee. "Oh, my brave boy!"

Tenten pries her teacher off, worried that he'll either aggravate the wound or squeeze the life from him.

"Morons," Neji mumbles. He's secretly relieved that Lee is alright, but the loss of his tea is disappointing. Worse yet, Tenten is handing the younger boy the large shell and claiming that she brought it back just for him. Yeah, right.

Gai has finally composed himself and is now looking over his team. One is covered in welts and happily clinging to a shell, another has a large scratch on the neck, and the third is getting a little pink, despite wearing the strongest sunscreen available. Not too bad, when you consider who they are. At least no one's drowned yet.

He strikes a pose, and pauses a minute to imagine just how good he must look in his swim trunks. Then he takes pity on the kids. "Whadda ya say we head back to the inn for a bath and some supper?"

A ragged cheer goes up from Tenten and Lee, while Neji just sighs, relieved.

"And then tomorrow we can come back and work on cooperating with our squad members. Perhaps we'll tread water all day, or have a non-stop taijutsu marathon!" If they believe things have changed along with their ranks, they are sadly mistaken. Gai intends for the good times to continue. Forever.

Groans erupt. Their sensei doesn't hear them as he's still planning their next days' activities aloud. As his despondent students begin packing up their things, he smiles. If they thought today was fun and relaxing, just wait until tomorrow.

* * *

_This was actually a re-write of an old NejiTen story I had lying around, and that's why they spent so much time together. Anyway, it was too much like Goldberry's _The Starfish Significance_, so I edited it and put it here. Hope it turned out sufficiently different, and that you liked it._


	9. Chapter 9

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: I'm so grateful for the positive response to the last chapter. I had thought it was funny while writing it, but had my doubts when it came time to post. I'm glad everyone reading this shared my opinion. And I'm going to try to keep this story from falling into repetitive "bathroom" humor. Here's hoping the next one hasn't been done before…_

**A Portrait of Youth**

"Sakura!"

"Ino!"

"Sakura!"

"Ino!"

"How about Hinata? With the Byakugan, she wouldn't miss." Shino is quickly drowned out by the other two.

Tenten is so mad she could spit, only that wouldn't do her any good at all, so she refrains. Sitting to her left at the small table, Neji and Lee keep listening to argument at the front of the room, occasionally sliding pitying glances her way. She doesn't want their pity, she wants some support. She's their teammate, for crying out loud. How come neither one has put forth her name? Jerks.

As the disagreement reaches new heights, they look on, continuing to sit in stoic silence. She isn't sure who she wants to strangle first; her squad mates, the males up front, or her fellow preening kunoichi. This is fast becoming ridiculous.

* * *

It all started two weeks ago, when Lady Tsunade gathered the village's older shinobi together and declared that the traditional end-of-summer Konoha Sports Festival would take place next month, despite the recent wave of rogue ninja activity. "We want to keep things the same as usual, even in this busy time of need. It will be reassuring to the people and a chance for you to relax," she'd explained.

Everyone had agreed with her in earnest. The three day vacation, filled with parties of all kinds and capped with the Sports Festival, would be just what the battle weary ninja and overworked civilian populace needed.

The Hokage continued. "What I need you all to do, while the Genin are busy signing up their teams and training, is help with the preparations and be sure to complete any missions assigned to you promptly."

"What? You mean we don't get to participate?" Naruto's outraged voice was an octave higher than normal. The crowd had stepped away from him, holding their ears.

Tenten had gotten a bad feeling right then. Neji looked like he'd felt the same.

"Naruto, the Sports Festival is only for Genin. We are too old to enter." Lee stated it very matter-of-factly, and everyone had nodded in agreement.

"Of course," Tsunade smiled, fist to her chin as though she was thinking hard, "You're still a Genin, Naruto. You could enter, maybe with Konohamaru and Moegi."

Naruto, pride wounded, had ignored her momentarily, then went back to pitching a fit. Why couldn't they do something fun and interesting, just because they (or his friends, rather) were Chunin? Didn't they deserve something special, too?

Finally, Tsunade had relented. "If you want to put on some sort of show, fine. I'll schedule it for after the Festival. You've got three weeks to let me know the final details, and the members of your graduating class, plus Gai's group, can help you. Shikamaru, you're in charge."

They'd all groaned aloud, angry that Naruto had just wasted their vacation for them.

Naruto, though, had whooped for joy, before being promptly beaten by the rest of the mob.

* * *

And that was how they'd ended up sitting in this Academy classroom for days on end, brainstorming. After an eternity, Lee had suggested their performance be like that of a circus, with all the tricks based upon their ninja skills. "Think of how fun it shall be!"

His enthusiasm had been infectious, and before long even people who hadn't wanted to participate were getting into the act, writing down ideas for costumes and props and who would play what role. Votes had been tallied, and duties assigned, and now, with just a week until they had to turn everything into Tsunade, they were almost ready.

And thank gods, for they were all running short on patience.

"Alright, so Lee's going to be part of the trapeze act. Do we even have those?" Shikamaru had sighed, rubbing his temples. This was so troublesome.

Shino had nodded in response. "It's all taken care of."

"Good, now the final part is the knife thrower. We need to vote. Any nominations?"

Tenten had brightened then. There was only one logical choice when it came to the part of knife thrower, and it was her, Konoha's resident weapons mistress.

"It needs to be a girl, since that's the costume we made," Ino had said, flipping back her hair and smiling to the assembled. She wasted no time in holding up the revealing black leather costume she'd sewn together.

Next to her, Sakura slapped a pair of matching heels on the table.

"Go figure," Shikamaru had muttered. Of course these girls would find a way to ensure themselves a role. He'd even be willing to bet the suit had been measured off Ino, and the shoes were probably Sakura's size.

"Well, I vote for Sakura." Naruto sounded close to drooling.

Kiba had stepped in then, very interested in the idea of seeing Ino wearing black leather. "I nominate Ino."

The two girls then started blushing, modestly of course.

A few more seconds passed, and no more names were put forth.

Tenten had just gnashed her teeth together, suffering in the knowledge that this was going to be a very long day.

* * *

"Sakura!"

"Ino!"

"Sakura!"

"Ino!"

Five agonizing minutes later, Tenten can take no more. She stands abruptly, chair scrapping loudly across the floor. The noise goes unheard at the front of the room, but it does catch Neji and Lee's attention.

"Tenten, please do not do anything rash!" Lee is also tired of the fight up near the chalkboard, but he doesn't want anyone to get hurt. And his teammate looks just mad enough to do it.

Neji just smirks. _This should prove to be rather interesting._

Tenten climbs up onto the wooden table, feeling around in her pouch for a low-powered explosive tag and a handful of kunai. "Excuse me," she calls out above the din.

One or two heads turn her way, but not enough. The arguing continues unabated. Very well then, they'd asked for it.

Lightning fast, she tosses the tag to the floor at the front of the classroom, and it explodes with a boom, leaving a black streak across the tile that she will have to scrub off later, but that's of little importance. She has their attention now.

Smoke billows up, not thick enough to turn on the fire sprinklers built into the ceiling, but enough to make the fine distance vision necessary for the move she's about to perform a little difficult. No matter, she could do this in her sleep if she had to.

Tenten wants that job.

Shifting the kunai into two hands, adjusting them between her fingers, she takes a deep breath and revels in the delicious knowledge that all eyes are on her now, and she's about to deliver her résumé.

Without warning, she launches herself into a high back flip off the table, landing gracefully on the floor behind Lee and Neji and letting fly both hands of kunai.

Her startled friends duck out of the way with just microseconds to spare, cutting it so close that they feel the wind from the passing projectiles. Lee yelps while Neji curses and activates his Byakugan to watch the passage of the weapons through the table that he's ducked under.

Eight kunai hurtle through the dissipating smoke to the front of the classroom. There, they snag on the clothing of Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka, tearing holes in jackets and pants before audibly lodging themselves in the wall behind the two. Both boys are in shock, eyes wide and mouths hanging open, but neither one has a scratch.

Naruto's pants actually fall down, revealing the boxers underneath, and it's that which breaks the spell cast by her weapons. Scattered applause starts up around the room, and Tenten takes a bow, grinning from ear to ear. Let them say that Sakura or Ino are more qualified now.

"That," Kiba stammers, putting a finger through the tear in his jacket, "was the sexiest thing I've ever seen. And she wasn't even wearing the damn costume."

Shikamaru yawns and writes her name down in his notes. "I think we've found our knife thrower."

Hell hath no fury like Tenten scorned.

* * *

_Not sure where this idea came from, but I wrote it in record speed. Pretty Tenten-centric, I guess I'd like to see her get her due. Poor Lee and Neji didn't get to do anything. I'll have to remedy that with the next chapter. Hope it was okay._


	10. Chapter 10

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Wow! I was bowled over by the response to the last chapter. Just so you know, you guys are wonderful._

**A Portrait of Youth**

Neji is the first to see it, the strange arc of colors stretching across the still cloudy expanse of sky. But he says nothing, because he can neither eat nor train with it, and it won't make him any stronger. The odd sight doesn't even evoke some nostalgic memory of his father. So he observes stoically and then looks away, white eyes falling closed in meditation.

A moment later, Lee's voice startles him. "Gai-sensei, the rain has stopped!"

Can't they see he's trying to concentrate? Why must they be so noisy? Despite his better judgment, he begins to listen to their foolishness.

"Why, so it has Lee! We shall all go out and vigorously train now! But mind your footing, we don't want anyone falling in the mud."

If Gai thinks he's going to go slogging through the mud, he's got another thing coming. Nothing the man can teach him is worth picking dried gunk from between his toes.

Tenten chimes in then, and Neji can tell she's smiling from the sound of her voice. "Oh wow, look at the rainbow!"

You'd think she'd never seen one before. Are all females this bad?

"Ah yes, very beautiful! Have you children heard of the magical midget ninja's who live at the end of the rainbow and guard sacred scrolls?"

The what? Surely that man did not just say what Neji thinks he heard?

"No, Sensei, tell us more!" The sound of scribbling follows, telling him that Lee's taking notes.

Neji allows his mind to wander. Rainbows are utterly ridiculous. And so is his team.

* * *

It's cold outside tonight, a chill wind blowing from the north. Tenten scoots closer to their fire's fickle glow and holds out her hands. No warmth seems to come from the tiny flame, so she pulls them back and huffs warm breath upon them before pressing them into her armpits. She wishes she'd brought a thicker blanket. Or that they'd had money for an inn.

Tenten stifles a yawn and shivers a bit. Gods, it's cold.

She turns her brown gaze to the side and frowns. How can Lee and Neji sleep through this? Oh, right. They'd spent the day pummeling each other and were simply to tired to sit up and freeze with her. Well, they had better enjoy their sweet dreams, because in thirty more minutes she would be waking one of them up and switching places.

Why did Gai insist they have a lookout? There were still in Fire Country, and she'd booby trapped the perimeter of the campsite. So what did it matter?

She wishes there was no need for this; sentry, preparations, and all.

Tilting her head back, she gazes upward at the clear night sky. The air is clean for all it's chill, the moon and stars lighting up the sky beautifully. Watching the twinkling lights, she's overcome with a sense of contentment.

She wishes every night could be this pretty.

Minutes pass, and her head begins to drop toward her chest, eyes fluttering closed. The sudden movement jerks her into wakefulness, and she glances upward just in time to see something go streaking across the darkened sky.

What was that? She looks again, but the object is long gone.

A shooting star. Make a wish.

"Tenten? It's alright, I'll take this wonderful night watch now. You've done very well, sweetie." Gai pats her on the back.

Her wish came true! Sentry duty is over!

Tenten wraps herself tightly in her blanket and crawls over between Lee and Neji. Her last conscious thought for the night is yet another wish, this one far more touching than the last. Simply put, that life could always be this way.

* * *

It's two in the afternoon and they are hanging out by the river, waiting patiently for Gai to dismiss them for the day. Surely, now that their chakra's been depleted down to zero due to the water walking exercises, he'll let them go? What more training can they get in?

Tenten, sitting uncomfortably on a boulder, leans over and whispers to Lee, "Why are we still here?"

Her friend shrugs, wringing water from his leg warmers. "Perhaps Gai-sensei wants to be sure we are good and dry before sending us home."

Neji looks up and meets Tenten's eyes. Does Lee even think about what he says sometimes? If being dry were an issue, wouldn't they just go home and change?

Gai suddenly appears from nowhere, posed on top of his ninja turtle. "Students! Today you will witness something truly amazing! A miraculous miracle of nature!"

Tenten worries that the sex education sock puppets are making a comeback.

Neji worries that their teacher is about to drag them to the village maternity ward to witness the birth of life.

Lee doesn't worry at all, because that's how he gets by. "What is it, Gai-sensei?"

"First, you must put these on." He hands them each a pair of cardboard sunglasses with a very small slit cut into them for vision. There is even a pair for the turtle, and Gai ties them on for the poor creature before slipping on his own.

Confused, the pupils don their new, highly fashionable accessories. Their teacher flashes them a smile, and Neji and Tenten are pleasantly surprised to find the glasses block the painful glare from Gai's white teeth. They could get used to this.

"Alright. Now we're cooking. If you'll direct your attention skyward, my most attentive pupils, you will be struck by a sight that only happens once a blue moon." Gai, still poised atop the turtle, chuckles as if he's said something hilarious, and maybe in his mind it is. The kids have their doubts.

"Be amazed, my children! Oh, and do not take off your glasses."

Behind him, the sky grows dimmer. Neji, Tenten, and Lee turn their protected eyes toward the sun, only to observe it being slowly eclipsed by another celestial object. It is an astonishing sight to behold, one that burns itself into their memories.

"You'll only see this once," Gai whispers.

It is the most interesting thing Neji's ever seen, even without the Byakugan. And he doesn't dare try to look at it with his bloodline trait, least he do some sort of permanent damage.

"What is that?" Lee asks, eyes wide and full of wonder. As the world grows ever dimmer, his hand finds Tenten's.

"That's the moon, Lee." Tenten gives him a little reassuring squeeze as goose bumps break out across her arms. Although she knows what's going on, understands it in the scientific terms, she still finds it a bit strange. Beautiful, but strange.

Around them, the world becomes eerily quiet as day magically turns to night. Birdsong ceases, the wind quits rustling through the trees. Even the rushing of the river seems muted. It is as though all life died with the sun.

And then there is a mighty splash, and all three whirl around to find that their sensei, while leaning backwards to get a better view, has fallen off the turtle into the river. As the sun reappears, they watch him get carried downstream by the current.

"Guess we can go home now," Tenten says.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki throws open the door to his friends' hotel room in the Land of Sand, and it bangs loudly against the wall. "Hey, hey! You guys need to come see this! This asteroid's awesome!"

Sakura appears, wraps her arm around his neck and begins to strangle him. "You really should knock, you know! And it's a comet, idiot, not an asteroid!"

"But it is awesome!" Naruto croaks, trying desperately to get the last word in.

Sakura squeezes harder, and there is the sound of something snapping. She lets him slump to the floor. "Sorry about that guys! He's really just a jerk. No manners whatsoever."

Only snores greet her apology. Team Gai is out for the count: Tenten sprawled across one bed, her stomach acting as a pillow for Lee's head. Neji is still and peaceful on the other, and Gai is propped up in the room's chair, feet hanging over the side. It's almost…cute.

Naruto stands back up, eyes closed thoughtfully. He snaps his spine back into place. "What's gotten into them?"

Sakura just smiles. She pulls Naruto from the room and closes the door quietly. In the end, Team Gai's most exhausting enemy was themselves, and they've earned their rest.

* * *

_Alright, I don't really know if they got to spend a little time in Suna after going after Gaara and the Akatsuki during Shippuden, but for the sake of the story, let's say they did. I went back to the older style here, with many stories as opposed to one long one. Any thoughts?_


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Chrysanthemums in general supposedly represent cheerfulness, friendship, and rest. I know they exist in the Naruto world, and that's why I picked them. If there are any other meanings that I may have missed, and they don't fit, please just disregard them. Oh, and last chapter I had a record number of reviews. Thanks, everyone!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

"She's late." Sitting stiffly in a hard backed chair, Neji Hyuga states the obvious. Arms are crossed over his chest, and his face has a glacial stillness to it. He does not look happy. And why should he be? With the Chunin Exam finals coming up soon, he should be training, not hanging out with invalids.

Across from him, in the colorless hospital room's only bed, lays Lee. Much of his body is swathed in bandages, particularly the left arm and both cheeks. His left leg is in a cast, propped up on a pillow, a testament to Gaara of the Sand's fierce fighting prowess. Despite the pain, he smiles. "She'll be here."

A timid knock sounds at the door, and both boys turn to look. No one they know would rap in such a way. "Come in, please," Lee calls.

The door opens a bit, and Sakura peeks in. Seeing Neji, she backpedals. "I'm sorry, I'll come back later."

"No!" Lee practically shouts, glancing at his teammate. Neji's face has taken on an even more annoyed look. "It's okay. You can come in."

Sakura blushes and steps inside, murmuring something about interrupting people. Clutched in one dainty hand are three colorful chrysanthemums, and as she crosses the small space she holds them out. "These are for you Lee. How are you feeling?"

Lee smiles and does his best not to cry. Here is Sakura, the girl of his dreams, bringing him flowers! "I am feeling just fine," he lies, taking the chrysanthemums from her and giving them a little sniff. "I hope to be released soon, so that I may continue my training."

"That's the spirit, Lee! With an attitude like that, you'll be out of here in no time!"

Sakura jumps, nearly leaping onto Lee's bed, while both boys calmly glance over to the door. Gai has entered, and he's pulling a metal cart with a television and VCR stacked on it behind him. The thing squeaks so loudly they are all surprised they didn't hear him coming.

"You found one?" Neji is incredulous. There were perhaps two VCRs in the whole hospital, and he'd really been hoping Gai would not be able to borrow one. Then they wouldn't have to sit here and watch whatever dumb movie Tenten had gone to rent, and he would be able to focus on more important things. Like training.

Gai wheels the thing over so that it's positioned against the wall across from Lee's bed. He plugs the TV into an electrical outlet and strikes a pose. "I had to use my stunning good looks as collateral, but the nurses were more than happy to hand it over. I've still got it!"

Neji chooses not to ask what it is his sensei still has. Lee worships his teacher's every word. Sakura just looks away, embarrassed.

Gai glances from Sakura to Lee and back again and smiles knowingly. It's nice to see his favorite pupil getting some attention. "Well, I'll leave you kids alone. Neji, make sure you return that marvelous piece of machinery to the front desk when you're done with it. I'd hate for the nurses to hunt me down!" He laughs, suggesting anything but.

Neji arches an eyebrow and squats in front of the cart. The sooner they start this, the sooner it ends. Now if only Tenten would get here with the damn film…

"Goodbye, Gai-sensei! Thank you!" Lee waves with his good arm, before realizing that his hand is still full of flowers and he's shaking the petals off. Blushing furiously, he stops.

As Gai leaves, Sakura takes the chrysanthemums out of Lee's fist and reaches for the glass vase on the small bedside table. "Lee," she asks, knowing it's rude but unable to stop herself just the same, "don't you think your sensei is a little weird?"

Neji gives a little snort from his position on the floor, but they both ignore him.

"What do you mean?" If anyone else had asked the question, Lee would have immediately jumped to Gai's defense. As it's Sakura, he first gives her the benefit of the doubt.

Sakura fills the vase with water from a pitcher, and begins to place the flower into it. "Well, what I mean to say is…" She stops and bites her lips for a moment. Oh, how to say this? Curious emerald eyes meet Lee's onyx ones. "I mean, is he gay?"

"Huh?" Lee is genuinely confused. Sure, his teacher is a happy man, but he gets the feeling that's not what Sakura is asking him.

"You know, homosexual?"

Lee frowns. What on earth is she talking about? He glances around the room, seeking an answer from blank walls.

Plugging the VCR into the television, Neji is no help.

Out with it then. "Does he like men? You know, like _that_?"

This time he does catch on. Shock causes Lee's voice to rise an octave. "What? No."

Sakura busies herself arranging the flowers, but there's only so much you can do with three of them. A tense moment of silence passes, and then she dares to try again. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude. It's just that he dresses oddly…" She stops, realizing that Lee wears the same thing and she may have offended him.

"He does not, and he is not," Lee states firmly, staring straight ahead. He's trying to ignore Sakura, and waiting for the television to come on at the same time. "Tell her, Neji."

Neji frowns, pushing buttons on the machine. There are lights, which must mean there's power, so why won't the stupid thing come on? He hates mechanical appliances. "He might be."

"Neji! How dare you be so disrespectful!" To be betrayed by one's own teammate. This is a dark, sad day.

Sakura, feeling that she has an ally, that her hypothesis is justified, continues. Holding up a hand, she begins ticking off reasons, one finger at a time. "Lee, he strikes poses, cries all the time…"

Lee covers his ears and shakes his head back and forth, petals flying off his hospital gown. He will not abandon his sensei, will not listen to this slanderous abuse. "Gai is just a passionate man!"

"See! That's exactly what I'm talking about. He's got an unhealthy obsession with _my_ teacher…"

"I can't hear you!"

"What's all the noise about?" Tenten comes to a stop just inside the doorway, a videocassette in hand, and observes the odd scene. Worried that they might end up kicked out of the hospital before they even watch their movie, she shuts the door.

Lee removes his hands from his ears, proving that he could hear all along. "Sakura said that Gai-sensei has an unhealthy obsession with her teacher!"

Tenten frowns, and hands the tape to Neji, who promptly shoves it in backward. "Well, he does. What about it?"

"She says he likes men!" Lee's voice is a low whisper, his eyes wide. His mouth hangs slightly open, and he looks the epitome of shocked. "And Neji agreed with her!"

"I only said he might be," Neji clarifies, turning the video tape the right way around and pushing it back in.

Tenten glances back and forth between the three, making a mental note never to leave them alone again. Her gaze finally settles on Sakura. "You think he's gay?"

Sakura nods shyly. Being less than familiar with Lee's teammates, she doesn't know how the older girl will react.

Tenten is skeptical. Sure, her sensei is odd, crazy even, but homosexual? "With those eyebrows?"

"Well, maybe not." Sakura thinks about it for a moment, then concedes defeat. "All right, I take it back. He's just strange."

The TV finally flares to life, blaring some film about a family of clownfish. Sakura blanches. Speaking of weird… Does Team Gai always watch this kind of stuff?

"Tenten, you found my favorite movie!" Lee is ecstatic, fight with Sakura forgotten.

Tenten smiles.

Neji just frowns. This movie again? It's worse than he thought.

Sakura sneaks out when no one is looking.

* * *

_Just a random little thing I thought of during a boring moment at work. No offense meant to anyone, of course. I love Gai. __Hopefully the next chapter will be better._


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: I wrote this a long time ago as a stand alone Tenten-centric piece with slight NejiTen hints. I've revamped and posted it here, because I do like it, but I don't feel it's good enough to be on its own. Any thoughts will be appreciated._

**A Portrait of Youth**

For two long days, they had been followed by stealthy Grass ninja. Whether the shinobi were interested in their jutsu, or the scroll they carried (diplomatic dealings from the Tsuchikage meant for Lady Tsunade's eyes), Tenten hadn't known. That night though, while camped on one of the endless plains with a starry expanse of sky stretched above them, she'd looked at Lee and Neji realized they needed to do something, because this constant state of edginess was wearing her team thin. If only they knew what the enemy's intentions were.

_Provoke an attack, _she'd thought. _If they respond, we'll go ahead and take care of this. _

"I have an idea." Both men had turned to look at her, and she'd explained her strategy quickly in hand signs and whispers.

They'd nodded, agreeing.

* * *

It had been a good plan.

She would leave the security of their camp and wander down to the gently winding river under the pretense of wanting a bath. Hopefully, the division of their team would trigger the attack that they had been waiting for, and their ambushers, or most of them, would take the bait and follow her. She'd hold them off with her Rising Twin Dragons, and what that didn't take out, Lee and Neji would finish.

But that was not what happened. Her leaving had apparently been the catalyst of an assault, because she can hear Lee yelling and see bright bursts of Neji's chakra against the darkened sky. Only one ninja has followed her, a diminutive older man with a face like a rat under his wide brimmed hat, wearing a thick straw raincoat. The rest have set upon her teammates.

_I'm only worth one shinobi? _

Disbelief and anger rise, pushing aside caution and fatigue. How many times were people going to underestimate her because she was a woman? Wasn't the title of Jonin worthy of some respect? Wanting to prove herself and work off some of the frustration physically, she grabs her kunai and charges.

Her opponent meets her head-on attack clumsily, bringing his own knife to bear, and Tenten allows herself a grin. This will be all too easy; she'll disable this man, avoid killing him unless it becomes necessary, and head back to help her friends.

_Hang on, guys. I'll be there in a minute._

And then she feels it: a dull throbbing in her head, a pressure on her brain that makes her long to close her eyes and rub her temples. A fog steals over her, and she wants nothing more than to sleep. Tenten doesn't dare let go of her weapon, doesn't dare stop fighting.

A voice enters her mind, deep and dark and smooth as silk. "They don't need you. They never did." It is her adversary's voice, and she briefly wonders if she has fallen prey to a mind-transfer jutsu. But no, she still has control of her body, is still attacking, although it's becoming harder.

A genjutsu then. Tenten knows very little about such things, having been trained by a taijutsu specialist and all, but she knows she's probably already too far gone for a simple release technique. Even so, she decides to fight back, sweeping her kunai in a great arc, trying to reach him but only succeeding in slicing through the tall grass. "You lie. They do need me, and that's why I won't be losing."

The ninja leaps back and smiles, and although his lips don't move, she can hear him. "You're so far behind them in terms of skill, it's ridiculous. To them, you are no help at all."

The pain in her head grows, little white lightning bolts ricocheting off the insides of her skull. It hurts, and a nagging voice tells her that the sting would stop if she'd only give up. She goes after him again.

"You're afraid to disappoint them, afraid to die. It's alright. Be at peace. They won't even know you're gone."

_Not true_, she tells herself. But already the painful seed of doubt has been sown, and she struggles against it even as she struggles against her opponent. With every whisper, she seems to lose a little bit of control, and her weapon becomes heavier, her strikes more unwieldy, the fight more difficult.

Their roles reverse. Her opponent is attacking her now, and not just mentally. Tenten falters, fights to stay ahead of him.

_This is what pride gets you. How could you be so dumb? Isn't that what you're always asking Lee?_

Desperation sets in, and Tenten uses every shred of her will to block the voice in her mind and focus on something else. Her kunai catches the light of the spring moon high overhead, reflecting it. She concentrates on that, ducking a blow.

_Spring_. Spring is cherry blossom parties. It's the silk of her borrowed kimono and the rustle of the wind through the newly green trees. It's her birthday, when her makeshift family showers her with gifts. Spring is picnics with her team in the bright sunshine, and Lee's inevitable consumption of sake.

Tenten's hand steadies a little, and she continues with her seasonal train of thought even as she whirls through the horrible, bloody dance that is combat, just a bare step in front of her partner.

_Summer. _It's the heat and the early morning training sessions and the vacation trips to the beach. It's Neji's skin turning pink no matter how much sunblock he applies. It's his birthday too, which only his team ever seems to recall. Summer is Lee giving himself heat exhaustion and being rushed to the hospital repeatedly. And it's watermelon and shaved ice and all sorts of wonderful treats.

The voice is quieter now, but still there and insistent. She must not listen.

_Fall. _This is her favorite time of the year, with the colorful dying leaves and the festivals and the perfect weather. It's Lee's birthday bash, which every year becomes more and more unreal. Fall is the harvest moon, when she drags Neji out at night and teases him because he can't see the rabbit living up there. Really, what kind of magic eyes are those?

She smiles, lost in her dreams, remembering. Even as she does, the pain lessens, and her reflexes improve, like blood flowing back into a limb that had previously been unsupplied. She meets a blow, parries it and whirls for another strike.

Her enemy looks worried, and with good reason. She's weakening his spell.

_Winter. _Winter is her weapons, steely and bright and so cold the snowflakes don't melt on the blades. It's her fingerless leather gloves with the warm wool inside, and an extra layer of clothing on those coldest days. Winter is Lee, red nose and all, slurping her hot chocolate when he thinks she isn't looking. And it's Neji, her sparring partner who seems to come alive with the chill and the silence. She always ends up sick from those enforced training sessions, but at New Year's she forgives him, and Lee, and wishes for luck.

Maybe it's with her tonight. She _will_live.

The year then begins again, the cycle restarting. Tenten cherishes every moment of it, and she'll be going home to her village to do it over with the people she loves.

_I will not lose. I can't._

"Release." The word forms itself, falling gently from her lips.

And like that, the voice and her doubts are gone, her head clear again. There is a moment of stillness, where she sees everything in perfect clarity. Her opponent, a shinobi just doing his duty, and her, a kunoichi following her orders. This is not personal, although his jutsu nearly made it so. The night surrounds them, calm and beautiful except here in this one copse of insanely tall, thick grass, where it's live or die.

And then her opportunity comes, and she makes one fast lunge past the man's guard, ramming her kunai into his shoulder just above the heart. The enemy drops his weapon, falling to his knees, left arm limp and bleeding. Even as he does so, his other hand comes up, weaving signs. Tenten's eyes widen, and she slashes a second, holdout blade across his throat, leaping clear of the warm, spraying blood.

It is over. Like always, a large part of her is sorry he had to die. Another part doesn't care, is simply glad that it wasn't her. Her teammates need her, after all.

She pulls her first weapon free and wipes both clean, returning them neatly to her holster. Turning to leave, the grass parts with a swoosh before her, and Lee and Neji step into the ring beaten down by her fight. They are unharmed.

Neji's white eyes flow over her and the dead ninja, so like the moon still high in the sky. "It worked. The way is clear."

Lee grins, teeth bright in the darkness. He holds up what must be their scroll. It's a little tattered, but still safe in their possession. And that's what counts. "Let us go, dear Tenten!"

They turn to head back the way they came, intent on hurrying over the country's border while they can.

Tenten stands stock still for a second, the night breeze lifting the sweaty strands of hair from the back of her neck. A smile forms, small and secret. _They came back for me. I knew they would, no matter what that Grass ninja said. To them, I am important, no matter that I'm a woman or what my rank is, or even how strong I am._

"Tenten, are you coming?" Neji sounds as though he'll leave her after all.

"Yes," she calls, rushing after them and nearly giggling.

Spring, summer, fall, and winter. But always Team Gai, and always together.

* * *

_Yeah, so there you have it. Sweet, but just sort of lacking something. Anyway, I plan to do another funny chapter next time._


	13. Chapter 13

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: There was a continuity problem with the last chapter, but it's fixed now. And on that note, thank you so much for your positive comments! They made me wish I had posted it as a stand alone story. Oh well, please consider it a gift for your awesomeness. _

**A Portrait of Youth**

During the two years when Naruto was away from the village training, Sakura occasionally came to exercise with Team Gai. Mostly it was at Tsunade's urging, the Hokage wanting her to spend time with people her own age and get an awesome workout in while she was at it. Given the choice, Sakura probably wouldn't have done it, as Lee's constant ogling made her uncomfortable. But you don't argue with your Hokage, so she pulled herself together and suffered for more than two weeks with Konoha's craziest team.

It was a nightmare.

Today, though, is different. She and Tenten are alone for a change, as Neji and Lee are sparring a couple of hundred yards off in the forest. It's summer, and the trees are lush with foliage, blocking their view and dulling the sounds of combat, giving them the illusion of privacy. As she carefully aims a kunai at a distant target, Sakura finds she is actually enjoying herself.

"Ha! That was a perfect bull's-eye. Hit that one, Tenten." Sakura can't help but gloat as it is the first one she's made all afternoon.

Tenten frowns and hurls her own weapon. The speed is impressive, shocking even, but it barely hits the target, simply taking off a chunk and flying away into the greenery. It will have to be retrieved later.

Sakura gapes, emerald eyes wide. She'd never expected the older girl to miss, and turns to face her, shocked. "Tenten, you just nicked the edge! Are you all right?"

Tenten flushes, and works her right shoulder in a circle, clenching and unclenching her hands. "Must have been something in my eye," she mumbles. "Sorry."

Sakura's medical training kicks in. "Do you want me to take a look? Here, hold still, and tilt your head up." She moves toward the other girl, intent on checking her vision.

Tenten backs away shaking her head, hands held up defensively in front of her. "No, that's all right. It's gone now. Let's try a different range."

Has Tenten gone insane?

"Alright," Sakura concedes grudgingly. She picks a target a little closer and throws, and this one also hits the center. Worried, she takes no joy from it.

Tenten goes next, moving slowly and carefully, and misses again. She flames red as Sakura starts toward her once more.

"You're joking. You have got to be kidding me. You never miss, one hundred percent accuracy, isn't that what they say? Something is wrong with you." Sakura stops right in front of her, tilting her head back so she can look the older kunochi in the eye.

Tenten sighs, nervously scratching the back of her head. Her cheeks are still pink and she nibbles on her lower lip for a moment in indecision. Quick as a flash, though, she makes up her mind. "If I tell you something, will you promise never to repeat it to anyone? Ever?"

Sakura peers at the other girl a little suspiciously. They are slowly becoming friends, but she still doesn't know her that well. But if Tenten trusts her enough to tell her a secret… "Sure, I guess. What's wrong?"

"Well, for the last few months, I've really been having trouble hitting the target."

"Yeah, I noticed. Is it your eyesight?"

Tenten shakes her head. "No, and what's weird is how when we're on missions and it counts, I still can hit. But here, just throwing for fun, with no pressure or anything, I miss. And it's the same with all my weapons."

"Sounds psychological."

"Maybe, just a little. But what I really think the problem is…" The normally straightforward girl stops, just a little too embarrassed to go on.

"Is?" Sakura prompts. They are this far along in the conversation, might as well finish. And she's just a little curious now.

"My breasts." Tenten's voice comes out in a small squeak.

"Huh?" The younger girl's mouth drops open in disbelief.

Tenten hurries and goes on. Sakura, being a medic, might be able to give her feedback. Maybe she can put this all into perspective. "Ever since they started growing in, I've had to throw differently just to get around them. Tying them down is getting to be a pain. And some days they hurt, so if I accidentally bump them…"

Sakura zones out and looks down at her own budding chest. Sure, Tenten's are further along, she reasons, but that's to be expected. She's older, after all. And that means her own flat upper body is nothing to be ashamed of, right? There's no reason for Inner Sakura to be cursing the more mature, curvy kunoichi.

Abruptly, she realizes that Tenten is still getting things off her chest. Would the other girl just stop already? Feeling slightly bitter, Sakura confronts her. "Hey, Tenten? I won't tell anyone, but I really don't need to know about your boob problems."

Tenten gives a little laugh, trying to play her discomfiture off. "Sorry."

"Tenten, you have breast cancer and you did not tell us? We are your teammates!"

Both girls whirl around to see a sweaty Lee and Neji standing there not five feet away. The younger boy looks shocked and a little indignant, while the older has turned away. If Sakura didn't know better, she'd think Neji were laughing.

Tenten is frozen in shock, stiff as a board, her mind running in circles. Did her squad mates just overhear? Did Lee just make the mistake she thinks he did? Oh gods.

"Dearest Tenten, why didn't you say something? Why did you not clue us in on your pain and suffering? Surely we could help. There must be something Lady Tsunade could do!"

He did. How could he be so dumb?

Realizing that Tenten won't be recovering from her near catatonic state any time soon, Sakura is compelled to speak on her behalf. "Lee, Tenten does not have breast cancer! We were just discussing--"

Rock Lee will not be dissuaded. He continues earnestly. "Sure she does, poor thing! That explains why her chest is so big now!"

Sakura tries again. How can Lee not know about puberty? "Don't you remember Naruto's retarded Sexy Jutsu?"

"What does that have to do with Tenten?" Lee just doesn't get it, he's too innocent.

She's running out of patience. "Lee, all girls get breasts! It's natural!"

"You don't have any, dear Sakura."

Never mind his innocence, she's killing him. Now.

Neji finally turns around, his composure significantly recovered. Whether he had been laughing, or just too embarrassed to look upon his teammate in her moment of self-consciousness, no one will ever know. He steps in between them, shielding his fellow male from the raging kunoichi out of duty. "Lee…" He begins, then trails off. What to say?

Where is Gai with his ridiculous sock puppets to explain this mess?

The other boy turns his gaze to him, eyes wide. "Neji, our flower is dying! Her chest is so swollen you can practically see the tumors! Quick, use the Byakugan and count them. If we know how many there are, maybe Tsunade can get them all--"

Lee is silenced by a tonfa to the head, the steely object knocking him out for the count. Tenten's aim is improving after all.

* * *

_Alright, I know breast cancer is nothing to laugh about. But Lee's ability to come to the wrong conclusion is just funny. I've got a couple of ideas for the next chapter, but very little inspiration at the moment (not the story's fault, rest assured), so we'll see how this plays out._


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Thank you all so much for my kind reviews! It's nice to know my messed up humor is appreciated. That said, the SPCA will be after me for this one._

**A Portrait of Youth**

It's an early summer afternoon, not yet unbearably hot, and they are eating lunch at Shushuya, one of the best restaurants the village has to offer. The booth the four of them occupy is small, crammed into one corner of the establishment, and most of the rush has already passed, so they are left alone. That's how Neji prefers it.

Sitting next to him, closest to the wall, Tenten is stuffing her mouth with some sort of dango she'd ordered for dessert. Her eyes are closed, face alight with joy as she chews and swallows the sweet. Neji thinks that she wouldn't be so happy if she knew how many calories she was digesting. It'll take her three training sessions to work those off.

Across the heavy wooden table, stacked high with dirty plates, sit Lee and Gai. Both Green Beasts have stuffed themselves, and are waiting in quiet contentment for the moment that they can move comfortably again. Gai has been drinking, and is slightly flushed. At least Lee hasn't gotten a hold of any.

All in all, it is a rather normal meal for Team Gai. But it doesn't stay that way.

On the other side of the restaurant, Hana Inuzuka gets up from her table, and her three dogs pad silently out behind her. Lee's eyes follow them the whole way, and Neji can feel the excited tension build in the boy. Finally, it bursts.

Lee whirls to face their teacher, eyes bright and earnest. He clasps his hands together, nearly pleading. "Gai-sensei! Can I please have a pet?"

Tenten chokes on her dango, and Neji sighs, irritated. They have been through this already, once before.

Gai gives a little hiccup and grins. He either doesn't remember their previous incident, or has a great deal of faith in his student. "Sure, Lee! It will be good for you, a wonderful experience full of good old honest discipline. Besides, nothing compares to the love of an animal!"

Neji is so glad that no one is around to hear them. That last sentence certainly did not come out right, but his teammates haven't noticed. Oh gods, are they growing immune to him?

"Thank you, Gai-sensei! You are so generous!" The tears build.

Before the waterworks can start, Tenten jumps in, playing the part of common sense. "Now, Lee, pets are a lot of responsibility. You have to feed them, and clean them, and take them to the vet. You have to play with them, and buy all kinds of things. You can't just ignore them, you know."

"Do not worry, Tenten! I swear to you, I am up to the challenge." Thirsty, Lee reaches for the nearest cup, which just happens to be Gai's sake. Neji reaches over and pushes it out of the other boy's way, determined to survive this lunch.

Gai grabs the said cup and holds it up as a toast. "That's the spirit, Lee! Your animal magnetism shall blind Konoha! You and your pet will be the envy of your year mates." He takes a large swig.

Neji decides that he needs to put a stop to this foolishness right now. Who knows how far Gai and Lee will go? He doesn't want to be known as the young man whose shinobi team mascot is a green-painted goat. "Lee don't you remember what happened the last time?"

Lee blinks owlishly. "Last time?"

Neji puts on his patient voice. "Yes, the last time you got a pet. Don't you recall that?"

Next to him, Tenten's mouth drops open as she remembers.

Finally, Lee catches on. "Oh, you mean Neji and Tenten? That was an accident, and it will never happen again, because I think I would like something a little different this time."

Neji and Tenten had been two rather creatively named beta fish that Lee had won at a festival last year. They had gone home in a little bowl to Gai-sensei's apartment, and had been promptly forgotten about due to the upcoming Chunin Exams. Neji-fish had wasted no time in eating Tenten-fish, and then died a week later from starvation. Gai had told the boy that bad water was responsible, and disposed of Neji down the toilet.

"What would you like, Lee? You know it's never too early to learn how to summon the ninja tortoise!" Gai's eyes are glazed over, and whether it's the fond memories or the alcohol, no one can tell. Probably a combination of the two.

Tenten groans at the mental image of Lee posing atop a turtle, and Neji feels a major headache coming on. He should just pay his portion of the bill, go home, and save himself a lot of grief.

To their eternal relief, Lee quietly declines. "Not being able to use ninjutsu, I'm not sure I could. And anyway, ninja tortoises are not pets. Thank you, though."

Gai takes the rejection well, all things considered. He sniffs a few times, and then breaks out sobbing about how grown up Lee sounds, and how well thought out that was, etc…

"So, what do you want, Lee?" Poor Tenten. Neji can see it in her face; She doesn't really want to continue this conversation, but it has become one of those things you cannot walk away from. Like a cart crash, or something.

Lee frowns, thinking. "How about a dog?"

_Saw that one coming. _Neji gives a little snort at the predictability of it all.

"We can't have one in my apartment, the terms of my lease say so." It's the only coherent thing they have heard from Gai in moments.

Lee's disappointment is obvious. He looks toward Neji. "Could I please keep it at your house?"

Neji frowns. "No, Lee. My family wouldn't like that." _And neither would I._

"My apartment's too small," Tenten says around another mouthful of dango.

"A cat, then?"

"I'm allergic!" Gai wails, and a passing waitress jumps, nearly spilling her tray. They'll have to leave a bigger tip now.

"What about a bird?" It's becoming obvious that Lee doesn't care, so long as he gets something.

Neji and Tenten both end up with the mental image of a large, colorful macaw preening its feathers and spouting sentences of youth. "No!" they shout together, horrified.

"It would probably be too noisy," Tenten says, trying to soften the blow. She knows how emotionally sensitive Lee is. "You don't want to disturb your neighbors."

Lee nods his head in understanding. When you live in an apartment, you must be considerate of the needs of others. He is aware of all this, but it doesn't make him feel much better.

"Are you sure that you wouldn't prefer another fish?" Neji is ready for this conversation to be over, and fish are at least easily replaceable. Lee could kill them left and right and there would always be more.

"I'm sure," he replies. Lee's heart is not ready to watch yet another fishy friend meet his end down the porcelain potty. "Maybe I could get a rat or something."

Tenten wrinkles her nose at the thought of a rodent running around in her teacher's home. If Lee gets one of those, she is never going over there again. Not even for dango.

Neji thinks the rat might end up smarter than Lee. Perhaps it could be trained for infiltration missions? He begins to ruminate on the possibility.

"No rats, gerbils, hamsters, or rabbits. My apartment manager doesn't want anything small enough to fit in the air ducts. And nothing that will eat holes in the furniture, or breed uncontrollably." Gai seems to have calmed down a little now. Maybe he's sobering up.

Suddenly, Tenten bolts upright. Neji swears a light bulb pops up over her head. "Wait, I've got it! Come on, Lee." She begins to slide out of the booth, and Neji stands up and gets out of her way. Across from him, Lee jumps up to follow.

Gai continues to slouch in his corner. He'll wait here until his head clears all the way. "Neji, did I ever tell you about the amazing time--"

Neji leaves with the other two. Gai can pay the bill for once.

* * *

"Over here, Lee!" Tenten calls from deep inside Konoha's only pet store. Both boys shuffle down the crowded aisle after her, and find themselves in front of a large wall of aquariums. Toward the bottom is a little plastic cage full of sand and shells. As they watch, one shell gets up and lumbers across the sand toward a bowl full of pellets.

"Oh, wow!" Lee presses his face against the cage window, nose flattening. His voice comes back slightly muffled, but his excitement is palpable. "What is that? It moved!"

Tenten smiles, and goes into a mode she normally reserves for her weapons. "That's a hermit crab. In warm climates like this they do very well. You keep them in cages, they'll eat most anything, are easy to care for, and they don't breed in captivity."

Lee and Neji stare at her.

"What? I had to do a report for school once. The most important thing is that they are fairly hardy."

_Thank goodness for that._

"And inexpensive." Prices are always high on Tenten's priority list. And Neji picks up on an underlying message.

_So if it dies we can always buy him another._

Lee points to a large crab in the center. "I want that one. Oh, and that one has a pretty shell. Look at that one hanging off of that plant!"

Tenten smiles at his happiness. "They do recommend getting more than one. I'll go get the shopkeeper so he can dig them out." She leaves them there.

Lee wiggles his fingers at the crabs, and they wiggle their antennae back.

Neji stands there, staring at the crustaceans and feeling a little bit foolish. Who has a pet like this? They should have gone with the rat. Still, he attempts polite conversation. "What are you going to call them?"

"The big one will be Sasuke, and the pretty one will be Sakura. I'll call that one there Naruto."

Well, at least that's better than Neji and Tenten. Now Neji can stop dreaming about meeting his end within the swirling waters of the commode.

* * *

_I'm not really proud of this one, so I'm going to consider it an attempt to get my muse back, and at writing mostly conversation. Hope it was at least interesting to read. _


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: I just want to give a huge thanks to all the people who have reviewed this. I love each and every one of you. Thank you also to all the others who have added this to their favorites, because that too is a kind of support. And double thanks to everyone who has done both! More randomness here. Enjoy!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

Neji Hyuga returns to Konoha from his first solo mission one afternoon during the last week of summer. He finds the village the same as always, and that is very comforting after some of the things he has seen. After reporting in to the Hokage, he drops his things at the family compound and heads off to find the members of his team.

He checks their homes, their training grounds, even their favorite restaurants to no success. Then he tries the hospital, and the movie theater, before finally returning to the Hokage Tower to be sure they have not been sent out during his absence. No, he is assured, they remain somewhere in the village.

Deciding to just to head home and get some rest, Neji finds himself wandering past the park next to the Academy. And there they are: Tenten, Lee, and Gai. The latter is snoozing on a concrete bench in the warm sunshine, while the former two are gliding across the paved way wearing on their feet the oddest contraptions he has ever seen.

Tenten catches sight of him first. "Neji!"

Lee whirls around to look, and his eyes get just a little watery. "My eternal rival, you have returned!"

Both come rolling toward him at breakneck speed, and he becomes increasingly nervous when they don't slow down. So do they apparently, as Tenten is now trying to wave him out their way. "Move, Neji, we don't know how to--"

Stop.

They plow into him, and all three go down in a heap, him on the bottom and his teammates on top. Neji, who had not been injured during his mission, now finds his elbows scrapped, ribs bruised, toes run over by odd little wheels, and whole body generally aching. Furthermore, his clothes are dirty and a little wet due to Lee's crying.

He has not missed this. Or maybe he has, and just can't bring himself to admit it. He did come looking for them after all.

_What was I thinking?_

"Get off."

"We're trying," Tenten assures him, quite cheerily.

Lee is the first up, but his feet slide out from underneath him and he crashes back down hard, doing even more damage then before. The reunited team just lies there for a long moment, catching their breath. And hoping no one comes along and sees them.

"So, how was your mission?" Tenten asks conversationally, trying to pull her elbow from his aching solar plexus. She is not having much luck, what with Lee sprawled across her, and Neji thinks that if she does not remove it soon, he is going to pass out.

_She expects me to chit-chat?_

He changes the subject instead, gasping out a question. "What were two you doing?"

"We were skating," Lee announces excitedly, finally rolling of the two of them. He looks no worse for wear and sits calmly next to them while they untangle themselves. "Gai-sensei brought us these neat wheeled boots called skates from his last mission, and we are just learning to use them. They are very fun, but only work on flat concrete or wood."

"And we fall down a lot," Tenten explains with a smile. She climbs off and unties the said footwear before standing up and offering him a hand. "Do you want to try?"

"No," he answers firmly, brushing himself off and glaring daggers at the other two. No one will ever see him debase himself in such a painful and embarrassing manner. If he ever wants hurt this badly again, he will just track down the Akatsuki, thank you very much.

"Are you sure, Neji?" Lee cannot believe that anyone would willingly choose to miss out on such an amazing opportunity. But then again, Neji has always been rather odd.

Tenten takes one look at their friend's flat look and hastily intercedes. There has been enough pain here today. "He's sure, Lee."

"But Gai-sensei bought a pair back for him! It would be ungracious to refuse his kind gift!"

Tenten turns to Neji with an apologetic look upon her face. Glancing at the overwrought Rock Lee, she lowers her voice so they are not overheard. "He did, you know. At least take them, even if you're not going to use them. Maybe Hanabi would like them."

Neji sighs, feeling his whole body throb. What had possessed him to come find his team again? He must have been out of his mind. Even so, he takes the skates that Lee brings over to him in one hand with a polite nod and heads home for a much need nap.

No one ever sees the strange looking devices again, but the Hyuga family privately complains to each other about rather strange rumbling and crashing sounds sometimes heard coming from the porch during the night.

* * *

Konoha ninja are famous for their love of animals. The Legendary Three Shinobi each have a special creature they summon and work with. The Inuzuka and Kakashi Hatake have their hounds. The Aburame have their insects, while the Nara guard their deer deep in the forest. Even Naruto is getting into the act with his toads.

Team Gai, however, remains on the fence. Sure, Gai is friends with a ninja tortoise, but when all is said and done, he rarely ever uses it as more than a soapbox. And due to various other circumstances, allergies included, that is about the only animal he associates with. The same could be said for most of his students.

It isn't that Neji doesn't like animals. He enjoys observing them in the few peaceful moments allotted in his life, and he can recognize their uses. But he is not allowed to have pets, and has never felt any desire to be responsible for one, so he tends to avoid them. Especially spiders, but after fighting Kidomaru, who wouldn't be a little leery around eight-legged creatures?

Tenten isn't much better. She thinks animals are cute, finds some of the things they do quite amusing. Like Neji, she knows they are valuable. But to her they are no substitute for steel in your hands when things get rough. And after the Forest of Death, there are many she would rather never see again. Giant cockroaches in particular haunt her dreams.

Lee is the team's anomaly. He loves animals, all species. The biggest, most dangerous creatures are interesting to him, but he is fascinated by the smallest lapdogs as well. Insects are no problem, and he is frequently seen looking over Shino's huge collection. Squirrels might be his all time favorite.

He is, in fact, so bad when it comes to fauna that Neji and Tenten must check his baggage every time they return to the village, just to be sure he hasn't brought some poor creature back with him. Over the years, they've found some pretty interesting things.

But this one tops them all.

"Lee, you put that baby tiger back where you found it right this instant!"

"But Tenten, he's all alone!"

"His mother is probably out hunting for him," Neji says, white eyes scanning the green forest around them.

"Do you really think so?" Lee is a little dubious. If he had a tiger cub, he would never leave it anywhere alone. What kind of parent abandons their kid?

"Yes," Tenten and Neji say together. Gai backs them up.

Sighing, Lee walks off into the jungle to return the baby.

It turns out that the tiger cub did have a mother, that his mother was looking for him, and that she didn't appreciate Rock Lee trying to adopt. Lee has never run so fast in all his life.

* * *

Fishing is said to be a nice, relaxing pastime. Old men are found of it, as are overworked, overstressed everyday people. Even little children love the sport. And Team Gai is no exception.

Neji actually enjoys holding the rod, watching the little bobber float upon the calm water's surface. It is soothing, almost like meditating. And with his patience, he definitely has a chance of catching something.

But that chance is quickly ruined by Rock Lee, who believes in fishing the old fashioned way. He leaps into the water with a splash and tries to catch the fish barehanded. Mostly, he just succeeds in scaring them away, but after thirty minutes or so of frolicking in the water, he miraculously lands one.

Neji stares incredulously. Lee has actually beat him at something.

_Boom._

There is an incredible splash out in the center of the river, and a moment later all the fish float dazedly to the surface. Tenten rows her small raft to shore, grinning like mad and scooping up the largest ones on her way.

What just happened?

And then they see the explosives lying in the prow, and they know. Tenten has gone overboard again.


	16. Chapter 16

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Sorry about the slow update, I have been incredibly busy. This is one that I've wanted to write for a long time, and it was actually supposed to have more to it, but was getting far too long. Another chapter, perhaps. Thank you for the reviews!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

They are eleven years old, just returned from one of their first missions, and are walking down one of the village's main avenues in the early night air. Although ninja are programmed to rest when they can, all three know it is far too early to return home to their beds. With the youthful adrenaline flooding their systems, they wouldn't be able to sleep anyway.

So when they round a corner and find people lined up almost the length of the block in front of Konoha Theater, Tenten smiles. "Lee, isn't that movie you wanted to see still playing?"

Lee returns the grin, almost bouncing, excitement running through his veins. He whirls around face their teacher, who has been quietly following them, enjoying the relaxing stroll. "Gai-sensei! May we please go see a film?"

In the sparse glow cast by streetlamps and hanging lanterns, Gai looks the part of the boogeyman. He is, however, anything but scary. Except when he strikes his newest pose with the hip thrown out to the side, which is what he does now. "Why, that sounds like a fine idea! What fabulous feature film should we observe this fine evening?"

Tenten and Neji had briefly stepped away from their oddball tutor, a little disturbed by his behavior, but now that permission has been granted to see the movie, all good graces are restored. At least on Tenten's part. She points toward the marquee sign. "We want to see that new movie, Sensei. The one about the ninjas."

Neji glances at the line doubtfully. His face remains as stoic as ever, but the shadow of a little frown can be seen between his brows. "Would that be the one all those people are lined up for?"

"Yeah, probably. I hear it's really good." She doesn't sound in the least bit bothered that they may have to squeeze in and sit up front. Or worse, chakra plant themselves to the ceiling and view the thing upside down. But that's Tenten for you. Neji privately thinks she is every bit as crazy as the other two.

Gai squints toward the sign, bright in the darkness. Ever the responsible guardian, he asks, "Is it the proper rating for kids your age?"

Lee and Tenten frown at that, because they really haven't checked. Ninja do not concern themselves with movie ratings. "I think so," Tenten replies, but she sounds unsure.

Gai is not fooled. He will need a better answer than that.

"Neji, use your Byakugan and check the rating on the poster up front!" Lee is still learning to get along with the Hyuga, and he has not learned to ask nicely yet.

Neji just looks at him, and a hint of a sneer comes to the corner of his mouth.

Tenten sighs and steps between the two. Sometimes it is enough to stop a fight, others not. If either swings though, she will move.

Gai seems to think Lee has had a good idea. He points toward the front of the theater, urging his strongest student to help them out. "Go on, Neji. Show use the incredible extent of your magic eyesight! Blind us with your--"

The look Neji is shooting him, combined with the deadly aura radiating from his tense body, would have dropped a lesser man.

Gai is oblivious to the prodigy's killing intent. He notices only the look on the young man's face, and immediately comes to the wrong conclusion. "You appear upset. Does your stomach hurt? I knew those beans we had for lunch today were a bad idea."

Tenten slaps her palm against her forehead. The sound is loud in the quiet night, and a few people turn to look. Seeing Gai, they return to their business. This newest team of his is developing quite a reputation.

Gai's face is the picture of concern. "Are you also unwell, dearest Tenten? Perhaps we should visit the hospital instead."

Their kunoichi gives a loud sigh. "I'm fine. Let's just go check the rating, and go see the movie, alright?"

Lee's eyes are freakishly wide in the darkness, glowing from under his brows. He regards her with something akin to awe. "Are you sure? Food poisoning is nothing to joke about."

Tenten growls in frustration. "Do you want to see it or not?"

All three males stare at her, and then Gai silently begins to lead the way to the theater. Lee throws one last look at her, then rushes to catch up. They begin conversing in low tones that do nothing to improve her mood. Slowly, she shuffles after them, feet scuffing in the dirt of the road.

Neji falls in last, his previous tantrum forgotten when Tenten threw hers. He glances up at the bright theater sign, high ahead of them like the moon in the night sky, and frowns. He should go home, report into his family. And yet, he really wants to go with his team.

Not to be with them, of course. And not to see the movie itself, because it sounds dumb in his opinion. Why would you pay to see a film about ninja when you were one? Especially when it would be on television in a year. No, the reason he's going is another entirely. He's never been to the theater before, and genuinely wants the experience.

And in his line of work, he may not get another chance.

Gai and Lee check the movie's rating, and determine that it is indeed safe for them to see, provided they have adult supervision. "Never fear! Despite my youthfully handsome good looks, I am old enough to vouch for you, my students!" Gai gives a little chuckle and steps into line.

Lee comes next, face alight with hero worship.

Tenten follows suit, disturbed as usual but feeling her mood improve.

Neji steps tentatively after, wondering if he is as truly committed to this course as he'd thought.

After waiting an indeterminable amount of time, their turn finally comes. Gai, Lee, and Tenten purchase their tickets and head for the door when Neji's voice stops them. "One, please."

They all whirl around and stare, having fully expected their teammate to skip the movie and sneak off to the Hyuga compound. Gai gives a little sniffle and feels his eyes grow moist. Does this mean their prodigy has finally learned to accept them?

The old lady in the booth smiles kindly at Neji. "You're very fortunate, son. You get the last seat of the evening."

Tenten grins, glad that Neji could have such great luck on the one time he deigned to go out with them.

"How much?" Neji asks, and that ticket lady rattles off a sum that he finds ridiculously high. He looks back toward his team, who watch him as though this woman has not just asked he pay an arm and a leg. Even Tenten, the group's tightwad, looks fine with it. Does that mean the sum is perfectly normal?

Very slowly, he pulls out his wallet and counts out the bills. One, two… It is a good thing they just got paid for completing their mission, else he wouldn't be able to afford this.

The old lady hands him his change and ticket, before sliding a screen across the front of the booth and disappearing. No turning back now.

"Is everyone ready?" Gai asks, holding the door wide open. Cold air comes blowing out.

Lee charges through the open way with Tenten right behind him. Neji comes slowly after, pocketing his change and marveling at the sum he just paid. Gai takes the rear, guarding his students like a good mother hen.

They hand their tickets to a bored looking usher, who rips half off and hands them back, pointing out the room their movie will be playing in. Considering the theater has only two projectors, hence two screens, Neji thinks this is overkill.

The concession stand, which he was unaware theaters even possessed, is worse. There is another long line here, and the clerks move painfully slow when filling orders. Again, the prices are the most expensive he's ever seen. Good thing he isn't hungry.

Tenten buys a small soda, which turns out to be huge, further confounding him. Lee and Gai purchase enough candy to feed all the children in the Land of Waves. All three prance happily toward Theater Two, dodging and weaving through the crowd.

Neji wanders after them, taking his time. He has already determined that this will probably be the last time he comes to see a movie, and he figures he may as well see all there is to see.

Tenten sticks her head back around the door. She looks back and forth across the lobby before spotting him. "Neji, come on! It's packed in here. You want a seat, don't you?"

They do not save seats? What is with that? He paid for one, didn't he? Feeling irritation rise, he hurries over and slips in behind her.

Inside, it is all ready dark, the lights turned down and the screen lit up with previews for other films. Tenten turns back around to face the stadium style seating, and frowns. It is hard to see, and she can't spot Gai and Lee in the crowd.

Apparently they recognize her though, as two people in the back jump up. "Tenten, sweetheart, up here!"

"Yoo-hoo! Tenten, Neji!"

"We've found four seats!"

People begin to look around, muttering. Tenten's face floods red, although Neji is the only one who can see it here in the dark. She leads the way up the stairs, alternately swearing at her teammates and apologizing to the other patrons.

To Neij's eternal horror, they practically have to crawl across Lee, Gai, and their mountain of snacks to reach their seats. Tenten's drink nearly ends up in the floor, and a piece of rock candy winds up attached to his left sandal. Pushing their seats down, they both flop into them, more exhausted by this trip then their earlier mission.

"How did you know it was me?" Tenten asks her teacher, taking a long sip of her soda.

Gai grins, and the light from the screen reflects painfully off his teeth. "We recognized your silhouette up there in front of the screen."

"The buns give you away," Lee explains, perfectly serious.

Tenten nearly chokes.

Neji kicks hard, perilously close to kneeing the seat in front of him. The candy falls off his sandal and sticks to the floor.

As the opening credits blare loudly and blaze across the screen, they finally settle. Gai is on the outside, Lee next to him, Tenten after, and Neji last, sitting next to an incredibly fat woman who is stuffing her face with something that smells terrible. The once freezing theater is beginning to warm.

What on earth possessed him to see this movie? Oh, yeah, for the novelty of the experience. Right.

Twenty minutes later, the film's unlikely hero has found a magic scroll with a message from a captured princess scrawled upon it, and set out to rescue her with the help of an old sage. They are being hunted by strange ninja in the employ of a mysterious Emperor and commanded by an evil Daimyo, all of whom have really bad aim.

Gai is amused, munching happily on a strange flavored candy.

Lee is captivated, for once sitting still and silent, except for the occasional "ooh" or "ahh."

Tenten is enthralled, especially when the primary weapons are employed. Her eyes light up at the sight of the long, flashing swords.

Neji is bored, and as his previous adrenaline high fades, his mind begins to wander. Things like this just don't happen in reality.

Up on the screen, yet another fight begins. The old sage meets his end.

In real life, you end up sleeping through a movie in a cramped theater, surrounded by your friends.


	17. Chapter 17

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: This chapter is actually made up of epilogues, or sequels, to some of the earlier stories. Sadly not the movie theater one, but I promise that is on its way. Thank you for all the reviews from that chapter, sorry if it was confusing._

**A Portrait of Youth**

It is a grey day, the thick clouds hanging low overhead and promising rain. Thunder rumbles loudly in the distance, threatening. There is no wind, the world is silent, the air humid and pressing. Here under the trees of their favorite training ground, the mosquitoes drone heavily, swarming in search of blood. Tenten, dressed in black like the other mourners, swats at one and glances skyward, dubious. "Is there time?"

Neji's white eyes follow her own, but he sees much farther than she does. He replies, in a manner near as quiet as her own question, "Yes, there's plenty."

It will not rain for another hour.

A few feet in front of them, under a large spreading tree, stands Gai. For once, his outfit is toned down, his face somber. He gestures broadly. "We are gathered here today, my students, to mourn the passing of three very good friends.

Next to him, holding a battered old shoebox in both hands, is Rock Lee. The young boy is already crying, and all they have done so far is dig a hole and say one sentence. At this rate, Lee will flood the forest before the rain does.

"Today we mourn the loss of Team Seven, the best group of hermit crabs anyone could ever ask for. Pretty Sakura, who would eat out of Lee's hand. Naruto, who loved to climb things, and brighten everyone's day. And rough Sasuke, who regularly stole everyone else's shells, and picked upon poor Naruto too much."

Lee gives a loud sob, and nearly drops the box. Why, oh why, did he forget to de-chlorinate their water?

Tenten moves over, and puts her hand upon his thin shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lee. But they are in a better place now."

Neji thinks about telling him that it was fated, but decides he'd better not. Tenten has told him, quite plainly, not to go about antagonizing Lee right now.

"You are right, darling Tenten! Our dear friends have passed on now, but they are indeed in a hermit crab paradise, far beyond the pain of this world. We must believe in that!" Gai's mouth hangs open, as though he will continue speaking, but the tears catch up with him. In seconds, he is a blubbering mess.

Lee reaches over and clings to his teacher, and they sob together. The makeshift coffin is pressed between them, the sides bowed out. Tenten reaches over and snatches it away before the lid can fall off, spilling crab corpses everywhere.

"Let's hurry this along," Neji murmurs, glancing back at the sky. The wind has picked up, and he'd like to be home before it storms. Bad enough they decided to bury the crabs under his favorite tree. Bad enough he had to attend this dumb funeral. He'd rather not go home soaked.

Tenten nods in understanding and squats down to place the box in the hole. Against her will, tears gather at the corner of her eyes. She blinks them away, throwing dry earth over the coffin and hearing it thud dully. Poor crabs. What had she been thinking, suggesting them to Lee? She should have known better.

Lee and Gai continue to wail in the background.

It is a sad day in Konoha, at least until Lee goes out and adopts the Sand Siblings.

* * *

What he is about to do goes against every law of nature, against every fiber of his being. On any and all levels, it is wrong. Horribly wrong. He doesn't want to think about the consequences if he gets caught. Total and utter humiliation, perhaps worse.

Pulling out the contraband items from their hidey hole, he slips them on. He ties them off tightly and shuffles silently, carefully to the door. He has to use all of his skills, all of his chakra and cunning to keep his balance while wiggling it open it.

_Screech._

He winces, but nothing stirs in the dark hallway beyond. Letting out a deep, cleansing breath, he frowns. What possessed him to try this again? How dumb could he be? What's wrong with him, that he would take this wacky risk?

Tenten would find it hilarious. And Lee… Well, it's better not to think of Lee's reaction.

He eases himself gently down the hall, holding on to wall, rolling over squeaky floorboards. Somewhere, a clock chimes midnight. After an eternity, he reaches the door that opens onto the porch, and slides it open. Night air floods in, cool and soothing.

Almost free.

He slides the door shut noiselessly behind him, and peers out into the darkness, swallowing hard. He's standing on his own now, unsupported. Gingerly, he slides one foot forward. Then another.

It's actually not too bad.

He's rolling faster now, trying not to fall as he bumps over the rough-hewn planks of the porch. He sees the edge too late, is going to fast. How do you stop these things again? Oh, that's right. His teammates did not know.

Neji Hyuga flies off the veranda at an incredible speed and falls a few feet, landing heavily in the family's shallow garden pond.

That's it. He is never trying anything new ever again.

* * *

She is sitting up in her hospital bed, glaring down at her wrapped ankle when the door flings wide open and Lee bursts in. His eyes are huge and he's still wearing his gaudy costume from earlier this afternoon. And he makes far too much noise for a nursing facility. "Tenten! Are you alright?"

Neji comes in quietly behind him and pulls the door shut. At least he's considerate of this floor other occupants. "She'll be fine, Lee. The nurse said it was just a broken ankle, remember?"

Lee is adamant. He climbs up next to her in the bed, careful of her bandaged appendage. "But, Neji, it could still hurt her terribly!" He whirls around to face her. "Does it hurt?"

Tenten giggles, her mood improving with the visit of her friends. She flops back on the pillow, and stretches. "A little. I should have been more careful."

Neji arches an eyebrow. His voice is condemning. "You had no business wearing those shoes. You couldn't even walk properly with them."

Tenten just sticks her tongue out at him.

Upon reflection, the high heeled sandals, a size too large, had not been the best choice. She should not have worn them, much less done that back flip. If she hadn't, if her foot had not slipped off the shoe during her landing, she might not have a broken ankle now.

At least she'd completed her act. And to resounding applause, mind you.

Lee stands up for her though, taking Neji to task. Now if only she could get him to stop bouncing on the bed. "They were part of her knife-throwing costume. What else should she have done?"

Neji gives them a flat look. It's obvious he thinks she should have skipped her performance. Or at least done it barefoot.

The room fills with tension.

Tenten breaks it, smiling sweetly at Lee. "If I give you some money, will you go out and buy something for me?"

Her friend is eager to help her in anyway he can. "Of course, Tenten! What would you like?"

"Get me the highest pair of heels you can find. As soon as I'm all healed, I'm going to practice with them."

Both boys look doubtful, but Lee does as she asks.

Years later, she takes on the rogue-nin Kisame wearing two inch wedges.

* * *

"Alright, Kakashi. Two outs, bottom of the ninth, no score for your team. My students are very close to winning." Gai throws his rival a blinding, brilliant smile. If they beat Squad Seven at this challenge, his record will stand.

Kakashi, nose stuck in his book, nods. He's practically oblivious to the whole game.

Out on the field, Sasuke is the last one at the plate. He takes a wide stance, grips the bat tightly.

"No Sharingan," Lee reminds him, yelling from the outfield.

"No Sharingan," Naruto mimics in a high, girly voice. He's a little bitter about their impending loss, and feeling helpless sitting on the sidelines.

Next to him, Sakura frowns. "Shut up, Naruto."

Behind Sasuke, squatting patiently in the dust, is Neji. His eyes are focused out on the pitcher's mound, waiting for the ball to come whizzing into his glove. "You are your team's last hope," he quietly informs the younger man.

Sasuke gives a little sneer. He'd never wanted to play this game anyway, but he'll be damned if Team Gai beats them. All he needs is a hit, just one, and they'll be tied.

Out on the mound, standing in the hot sun, Tenten shifts her grip on the ball. She nods to Neji, and smiles disarmingly at Sasuke. And then her arm whirls back, amazingly fast. Her shoulder twists, and the ball leaves her grasp from an underhanded pitch.

Sasuke has a brief second to think-- what the hell?-- and then it shoots past him.

Over the plate, into Neji's glove.

"You're out!" Gai yells, striking a victory pose.

Team Gai wins again.


	18. Chapter 18

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: If anyone is interested, I edited my story _Hell and High Water_. Shameless plug, I know, but I'd love some feedback. And on that note, thank you for all of the reviews! 116 at last count! I still can't believe it…_

**A Portrait of Youth**

The Festival of the Dead is a very poignant ceremony in Konoha. It is the one time a year when all but the most critical missions are suspended, when everyone, civilian and shinobi alike, takes to the streets as soon as night falls. They spend hours there, together, remembering those who have come before and those who were lost. Many light candles in honor of deceased loved ones, and at midnight the Hokage calls a moment of silence in their honor.

This year's festival is perhaps more somber than any other before it. Although Team Gai has lost no one personally, there are many to be mourned: countless shinobi dead when Orochimaru and the Sand invaded the village, among them Gekko Hayate, their Chunin Exam proctor, and four students from their year. Most painful of all, the Third Hokage, with all his wisdom, is gone. And a loss of a different kind has occured with the defection of Sasuke Uchiha.

It has been a long, tough year.

Tenten meets her teammates at dusk, just in time to see the August sun sink into the green tree line in a spectacular display of color. She is dressed like them, wearing light traditional clothing against the heat and the sadness. Bandages and weapons have been left at home, along with forehead protectors, although Neji still has a dark cloth band wrapped over his curse seal.

For once, in a sea of milling people, Team Gai blends in.

"What event should we do first?" Lee is dressed in his old blue-grey outfit, fully healed from his Chunin battle and the fight with Kimimaro. Despite the solemn atmosphere, he is greatly excited. The festival has always been famous for its many entertainments, a bright spot in a sea of dour grey. "We could see the drummers, or go catch goldfish! Or we could dance!"

Neji, dressed in a navy kimono and hakama so dark they appear black, grimaces. He is already in a less than pleasant mood, having spent the day at the Hyuga compound, watching his relatives clean the graves of their honored ancestors. Neji, of course, had no grave to clean, his father's body being taken away by the Cloud ninja years ago. The fresh reminder of loss has hit him hard.

Tenten, hair down and free, wearing a borrowed grey yukata, has been keeping a close eye on her morose squad mate. Seeing him exhibiting his classic antisocial behavior, she intercedes. "Why don't we do something a little more fun?"

Lee frowns, for he can imagine nothing better than taking home fish. He needs one to replace last year's Neji and Tenten. One to heal his aching broken heart. But if his female teammate has a better idea… "What do you have in mind, Tenten?"

She smiles and brushes her bangs back, showing small jade stud earings. "The Academy students have put up their haunted house. I heard it was supposed to be really scary this year. Do you want to go?" It is a little bit of a lie, because no one has ever claimed to be afraid of the ramshackle tent or its young inhabitants, but she had to say _something _to distract her friend.

Or maybe she didn't. Lee nods, wide eyed, and hurries off down the crowded avenue. She and Neji move slowly after him, squeezing past people and calling out apologies. After what seems like the longest walk of their lives, they arrive at the said spooky place set up on the Academy playground. Inside, people can be heard screaming and laughing.

Lee is there waiting, looking slightly impatient. He teases good naturedly, "What took you so long?"

Neji frowns, misunderstanding.

Tenten gives a little huff and plays along. "You're not wearing your leg weights, are you? What ever will Gai-sensei say?"

Lee looks horrified. He had not thought of that when he dressed earlier.

Konohamaru, acting the part of door man, is not amused. He tosses back his trademark scarf, looks up at the three, and proceeds to let them have it in his high pitched voice. "Are you coming in or not? You're holding up the line."

"Sorry." They pay the small entry fee, and one by one they lift up the heavy tent flap and step inside. Lee goes first, Tenten next, and the always unenthusiastic Neji comes last. They cluster together in the cramped entryway, trying to get their bearings.

It is difficult, much creepier than the years they have attended before. There are no lights, just small fading glow rods hung here and there. The walls are thick and close together, the ceiling low. Things hang down from it, barely visible in the dark. The ground is uneven, and a thick clinging fog rolls along it, making footing treacherous. Strange sounds and smells drift back to them from up ahead. Somewhere, someone screams loudly.

Lee is off like a shot, running down the narrow maze of corridors at breakneck speed, nearly hitting both working Academy students and other patrons. He is not really scared, just unable to physically contain his excitement. And he always makes it a point to rush quickly through these kinds of things. It is one of his many quirks.

"Idiot," Neji mutters. "The ghosts aren't going anywhere."

Dismayed, Tenten yells at the disappearing form of her friend, urging him to come back. Weren't they supposed to go together? Lee does not heed her, and she is suddenly left alone in the dark with only Neji's company. She stands there, peering ahead into the inky blackness and feeling suddenly nervous about the whole thing. Was this really her idea? What had she been thinking?

From behind her, Neji's voice is dry and perhaps just a little sarcastic. "Are you afraid?"

"No," Tenten protests irritably, fisting her hands against her thighs and swallowing a lump. She is not scared, she isn't even bothered. Kunoichi are not frightened by stupid, childish things like haunted houses. She turns to face Neji, her breathing controlled. "Just upset. What if he trips or something?"

Neji arches an eyebrow, dubious, but she can barely see it in the gloom. He tries again to clarify the situation. "So you aren't afraid?"

"No! Why do you ask?"

He states the obvious. "Because we are not moving."

Another scream echoes piercingly, and Tenten forces herself to turn around and step gingerly forward. She moves slowly and carefully, running her hand along the rough wooden wall, eyes strained to their limit. Neji follows right behind her, steadily, nearly stepping on her heels.

They round a dark corner, Tenten immediately coming face to face with a growling demon. Surprised, she clamps a hand over her mouth to stifle her horrified shriek, and stumbles backward. Neji curses loudly as she rams into him, stepping on his exposed toes and nearly head butting him in the chin.

"Are you alright?" The demon pulls up its mask to reveal Moegi, her small face concerned.

"Just surprised," Tenten pants. She stands up and straightens her clothing, smoothing the wrinkles out. "I wasn't expecting you there."

Moegi smiles and slips her mask back on. Her voice is muffled beneath it. "Yeah, that's the point. Watch out for Udon, then. He's about three turns up. You'll hear him sneezing when you get close, 'cause he's got a cold. And someone else is a few rooms behind that."

"Thank you," Tenten says sincerely, feeling her racing heart calm. She takes a deep breath, feeling her body relax, and turns around to apologize to her friend. "Sorry I stepped on you. It was an accident."

Neji just glares at her, moon white eyes almost glowing in the gloom, and slides past so that he is leading the way. With an abrupt but polite nod to Moegi, he stomps down the narrow, pitch black corridor.

Tenten hurries after him.

They wander through the labyrinth at a fair pace, facing goblins and ghouls. Neji never reacts, never even seems surprised. Tenten wonders if perhaps he has activated the Byakugan, is seeing through it all. She tries to peek, but has no luck in the narrow hallway. And she doesn't dare ask, because it is obvious from the way he moves that he is still angry with her.

They pass Udon, dressed as a kappa. His sneezes are more funny that frightening, and she giggles heartily. Neji does not, nor does he seem inclined to forgive her.

That puts her in her own bad mood. She had been surprised, that was all. It was nothing more than a moment of weakness, and she had apologized. To her credit, she has reacted much better ever since that first shock. Neji just needs to lighten up.

Tenten is so deep in her thoughts that she slams into Neji's back when he stops short. "Sorry. What is it?"

He does not answer, standing frozen in front of her. She can feel the tension in his body, can sense him coiled like a spring. Very slowly, so as not to alarm him, she stands up on tiptoe and peers over his shoulder.

Up ahead, across the small chamber, silhouetted by an eerie green light, is a huge spider. It hangs from the ceiling, spread across a giant stringy web, limbs wiggling erratically. Liquid drips from its oversized fangs, plopping into a puddle at the base of one of the black walls. All in all, it looks so real that Tenten wonders if the Academy student's have been practicing their genjutsu and using it to scare patrons.

Immediately, she feels a tug on her heartstrings. Although Neji would never confess, it is obvious that spiders have bothered him ever since his fight with Kidomaru, the fight he is still healing from. "Neji?"

"It's fine," he says, but he makes no move to cross the room.

Hearing people coming up the way behind them, Tenten knows they need to move before Neji's secret is exposed. Faced with her teammate's post-traumatic stress, she does the only thing she can think of. Placing her hand upon his shoulder, the one bearing the ugly scar from his recent battle, she relies on his sense of duty. "Neji, I can't see," she fibs.

The fact that someone is relying on him, needing him to be strong, jumpstarts Neji. He pulls himself together. "Alright. Keep your hand on my back."

They pass through in record time, and the spider remains firmly plastered to the ceiling. Tenten keeps her hand fisted in the light cotton of Neji's kimono, and he loosens up with every step they take away from the fake arachnid and still too fresh memories.

"Do you think Lee made it out?"

Neji gives a little snort and answers, having forgiven her the moment she needed him. "He is probably lost."

Tenten smiles. "Yeah, probably."

They round another corner, and the final student jumps out, this one wearing a sheet like a ghost. The unfortunate phantom trips upon its own dragging hem, and falls backward, through the flaps of the exit. They follow, pushing the heavy fabric out of the way, and step into the refreshing night air.

"Thanks for coming," the ghost says, standing back up. He makes to go back inside, but Neji stops him.

"Have you seen a boy my age with a bad haircut and large eyebrows?"

"Neji!" Tenten pretends indignation, but she really cannot help laughing at her friend's rough and slightly rude description. She concedes that without his trademark suit, it is difficult to depict Lee any other way. But still…

The ghost waves vaguely. "He came through ages ago." He disappears back inside before they can thank him.

"Neji, my rival! Dearest Tenten! Where have you been?"

They whirl around to find Lee running across an empty space toward them, three melting popsicles clutched in his hands.

"Lee! Where've _you_ been? We were supposed to go through together."

Lee has the dignity to look sheepish. "I'm sorry. I came out, and then I saw Gai-sensei." He points toward a concession stand, where Gai can be seen talking to some of the other teachers. When the older man sees them, he waves and strikes a pose.

A few people turn and look. Neji and Tenten blanch.

"He bought us popsicles!" Lee exclaims happily, passing the frozen treats out. "Now can we please go see the dancers? And get a fish?"

Tenten nods, silently acquiescing, and begins gratefully sucking the moisture from her pop.

Neji, now one hundred percent recovered from his ordeal, gives his own an experimental taste. It is surprisingly good.

Lee crams his cherry flavored treat into his mouth, mind already upon the naming of his new pet. If he can catch one of course. If he cannot, he'll have to run twenty laps around the village before the Hokage calls for the moment of silence.

Gai pauses in his conversation with Kakashi to watch his pupils disappear into the crowd. They look surprising well, considering the solemnity of the evening. "Young hearts are amazingly resilient," he comments, tearing up.

Kakashi just looks at him as though he is crazy.

* * *

_Again, this fic supports no pairings. But I know most of you will pretend it was NejiTen, which is fine. Hope you liked it._


	19. Chapter 19

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: This is on the favorites of more than 30 members now! I am so excited! Thanks for all the support. This was going to be one of those many short story chapters, but it got a little out of hand. Oh, and if the Hokage moment can't be seen from the Tower, just ignore me. I seriously couldn't remember._

**A Portrait of Youth**

It is their first night ever spent outside the village, and it is really nothing more than a camping trip designed by their teacher with the admirable purpose of inspiring camaraderie and cooperation. Unfortunately, they have been outside the high gates of Konoha for less than twelve hours, and the newly formed team is already at odds.

"I don't see what's so important about taking watch," Tenten murmurs to her teammates, casually glancing over to where Gai-sensei is unrolling his sleeping bag. "We're still inside the border of Fire Country. Isn't that being a little too cautious?"

"Gai-sensei, in his boundless wisdom, probably just wants us to get used to taking sentry duty." To Rock Lee, it makes perfect sense, this idea that one of them will be forced to play guard in a place where they should be completely safe.

Tenten is exhausted, both from the workout and the stress of dealing with her squad, and it is beginning to show. She puts her hands on her hips and stares at Lee as though he were idiot. "Well, then he should have appointed one of us, rather than letting us decide for ourselves!"

Neji wisely says nothing, just picks a dry spot and begins to unpack his things by the light of the campfire. He will let those two handle it, and go to sleep.

"But Tenten, we must work this out as a team! How else will we become the envy of all Konoha, the finest, most splendid shinobi, unless we can work together?" Onyx eyes seem to blaze with determination.

Tenten is adamant. She takes a swig from her canteen, moonlight flashing upon the bright metal surface, then tucks it back into her pack. "You do it then."

"What? Why can't Neji?" Lee almost spits the name out. He does not care much for the Hyuga prodigy, and cannot see why Tenten always takes his side.

Neji enters the conversation then, if only to defend himself against Lee's unending stupidity. He unzips his sleeping bag and looks up calmly, meeting the younger boy's defiant gaze. "If you agree with our teacher's methods, then you can stay up."

The tension builds. The small campfire crackles loudly, throwing shadows and making Tenten jump. Gai, seemingly oblivious to their not-so-hushed conversation, crawls into his sleeping bag. They hear it zip behind him.

Lee jabs a finger toward his fellow male teammate, glaring. "I challenge you! The loser shall stay awake for first watch!"

Neji stands up, cocks his head back, evaluating the situation. This again?

Tenten sighs, and stomps a foot. It makes no noise upon the loamy forest floor. "Lee, don't be so stupid. You've already challenged Neji to five fights today, and he's beaten you every time. Give it up!"

Lee whirls on her, fist clenched. "Tenten, I challenge you as well!"

"What?" The kunoichi is flabbergasted, mouth hanging open. This is the first time Lee has ever taken a grievance up with her, and she is astounded.

Neji crosses his arms and glares at Lee, a sneer forming. "I'm not wasting my time fighting you again."

Lee shakes his head, sending his wild, dark hair flying. He choses that moment to drop his bomb. "I did not challenge you to a fight! I will beat you, both of you, at Rock, Paper, Scissors."

A stunned silence falls upon the little group. An owl hoots somewhere out in the darkness and a light wind gently blows the treetops high above them. The breeze is not felt upon the forest floor, does not cool the raging passions there.

"Are you kidding?" Tenten asks, recovering her small composure.

"No, I am not." The firelight reflects brightly off the Leaf emblem bound across Lee's brow. His forehead protector is a symbol of his fortitude, the proof that he can overcome long odds and win. His teammates would do well to notice it and remember, but they are young and all much too involved in themselves.

Neji makes his statement, standing still in the night air, almost godlike. "I am not playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with you. You take first watch." The conversation is finished, at least as far as he is concerned. He returns to the task at hand.

"Why? Are you scared that I will win?" Lee cannot resist the opportunity to jab, as he so rarely comes out on top.

Like something from a horror movie, Neji very slowly turns around. His face is set in its usual frown, eyes glaring. The tone of his voice is firm, commanding. "Fine. Are you in, Tenten?"

The weapons user closes her eyes and exhales. She just cannot believe it has come to this. But then the thrill of competition steals over her, that edgy adrenaline she so loves, and she comes to stand next to the other two. "Alright. On three?"

Both boys nod. Everyone holds one hand flat out, balls the other into a fist.

Tenten counts. "One. Two. Three."

Three pairs of hands slap audibly together, in time with the count, the sound piercing in the quiet night. At the last number the fisted hands quickly unfold, like flowers opening, to reveal three previously chosen hand signs. There is a long, tense moment where everyone observes their neighbors' picks, works out their destiny.

To sleep, or stay awake?

Neji smirks. He has chosen paper, traditional, fluid, and useful. Something that can be both beautiful and cutting, something that can cause great pain, and it easily beats Lee's rock. "Enjoy sentry duty."

Lee looks crestfallen. How is it that he cannot even beat the Hyuga at a stupid game? One that he himself chose? Using the strong object that is his namesake?

"Not so fast, Neji. I've got scissors, so that means I beat you." Tenten grins and holds her hand up, the scissors resembling a victory sign. Of course she had chosen the steel. "Goodnight, boys."

"But Tenten, doesn't my rock beat your scissors?" Lee looks really confused now.

Neji's brow furrows, and Tenten's mouth drops open again. If Neji beats Lee, but Tenten beats Neji, and Lee then beats Tenten, where does that leave them? Who wins?

From buried deep inside his fluffy sleeping bag, Gai's voice reaches them. One hand slips out the side and gives them the thumbs down sign. "As punishment for being so incredibly un-youthful and uncooperative, you will all stay awake for the next three hours! Let that be an exhausting lesson to you, my pupils!"

Apparently, there is no victor.

* * *

"Darling Tenten, how nice of you to make us all these tasty box lunches! How thoughtful! Is this because it is our first year anniversary as a team?" Gai smiles brightly and looks down at his female student before plopping down next to Lee upon the dry summer grass.

Tenten nods, for once feeling a little shy. Truth be told, she had debated for days about making everyone lunches. What if they didn't know what they were for? The old lady next door said men did not remember anniversaries. What if the food was bad? Or, perhaps worst of all, what if the boys thought she was kissing up to their teacher?

Seeing Neji munching contentedly on a piece of dried plum and Lee inhaling homemade rice ball with nori, she smiles. There was no need to worry after all.

Tenten picks up her own lunch box and begins to eat in silence, brown eyes watching the summer sun scorch the empty training field in front of them. It glints, here and there, off the occasional fallen weapon, testaments to their earlier activities. They had all been very vigorous that morning.

"Uh, Tenten? Why is there paper inside this cookie?" Lee is staring earnestly at a soggy white piece of parchment pulled from his mouth.

"Oh! That's your fortune. I hope you didn't ruin it." Who would have thought she needed to explain fortune cookies?

Gai leans over Lee's shoulder and peeks, interested. He has heard of the dessert, of course, but the cookies are not popular in Konoha. "What does it say?"

Lee frowns, reading the slightly smeared characters with care. "'You will be a splendid ninja.'" He pauses and re-reads it, face alight with joy, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Thank you, Tenten! Thank you very much!"

Tenten smiles gently, brushing sweaty bangs from her face. "You're welcome, Lee."

Gai glances over to Neji. The prodigy, now forewarned, has just cracked his open. "And yours? What stunning forecast has our little flower delivered for you?"

Neji looks at the paper for a moment, then passes it to Gai, indifferent. He proceeds to finish his meal.

Gai squints at the tiny handwritten message. "It says, 'You will overcome an obstacle.' That is very prophetic, and profound." He hands the paper back to the stoic Neji, who pockets it.

"What does yours say, Gai-sensei?" As always, Lee wants to know everything about the man who is his teacher, his idol.

Gai breaks his shell into two, and pulls the fortune carefully out. He passes the treat to Lee, and then begins to read. "'You are the most youthful man in the village.' Well, it's true."

Everyone falls into a companionable silence, picking at the remainder of the tasty food. The hot afternoon sun crosses the sky overhead, but here at the edge of the forest it is shaded and cool. The droning sounds of cicadas out in the field, and singing birds perched high above them, are soothing to the soul. One by one, they lean back against the rough tree trunks, and, bellies sated, begin to doze.

Surprisingly, it is Neji who speaks. White eyes are half closed, and hands are resting peacefully in his lap, above his aching stomach. Although he will never admit it, he has eaten too much. "Tenten, did you have a fortune?"

Brown eyes open lazily, and she throws him a challenging grin. "Yes. Mine said, 'You will beat your teammates in a match today.'"

Neji gives a little disdainful snort and closes his eyes fully. Fate does not announce its intentions on small slips of paper hidden in after-meal snacks, and Tenten is dumb for even tempting it. But he will prove her wrong later.

After the food has sat.

* * *

Team Gai stands still, poised at attention. They look every bit the dutiful ninja squad.

"What do you know about this?" Sitting behind her large desk inside the Hokage's Tower, Tsunade is the very picture of pissed. Her face, usually smooth and unlined, looks haggard. Eyes are hard and unblinking. Her forehead is creased, mouth pursed tightly in disapproval. Hands, which had been clasped under her chin, slam down on the desk with a thump.

Neji does not move, but Tenten flinches at the sound. Lee gulps audibly.

Tsunade focuses her gaze upon him, perhaps sensing fear. "Well?"

Lee breaks into a sweat, but says nothing. His teammates have told him to let them do all the talking. All of it.

Silence. It is so quiet they hear Shizune drop her pen in the next room.

Finally, Neji speaks up. He is by far the most composed member of the team. And that is simply because he has had the least to do with the current situation. "About what, Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade slides her chair back and gestures broadly toward the large windows behind her. The Hokage Rock can be seen outside, now bearing five faces were there used to be four. The rising sun throws the giant features into sharp relief, slowly pushing the shadows away from the heroes' visages.

But there is nothing unusual about the monument.

"Is there something wrong with the Hokage Rock?" Tenten asks, speaking over the sound of her hammering heart. If they are caught lying by her idol, she will die of absolute mortification. And that is before Gai-sensei subjects them to rigorous training as punishment. Or worse, throws them from the ninja program all together.

Tsunade looks at each one in turn, as though she is measuring their souls. "Not anymore, but there was. This was removed from the nose of one of the busts earlier this morning. ANBU found it." She lifts an object from behind the desk, and lays it flat for viewing.

Team Gai steps closer, under the pretense of getting a better look. Lying there is a large handmade kite, the fabric a checkered pattern in green and orange. Scrawled repeatedly across it in black ink is the word 'youth' and an amazingly childish picture of a turtle. Leaf signs are also prevalent. There is a long, streaming tail and a broken string dangling from the main body.

"Which, uhh, nose was this found in?" Tenten asks, forcing herself to sound inquisitive. In truth, she knows damn well where it was found. She spent half the night trying to retrieve the stupid thing, to no success. At least she was not spotted by ANBU.

The throbbing at Tsunade's temple is clearly visible. It is much too early for her to have to deal with this. She has not yet had her morning pick-me-up of alcohol. "Mine. Now, what do you know about it?"

Lee shakes his head like a broken bobble head doll, eyes wide. "Nothing, ma'am." His voice is almost a squeak, and he has the feeling that even if they survive Tsunade, his fellow squad members will kill him.

Who flies a kite from the catwalk around Fire Country's most beloved memorial anyway? Worse, who chooses dusk to do so, and then loses their grip on the said flying object? Never mind that it was a dare.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade remains dubious.

Neji frowns at the kite. His teammates, particularly Lee, had better appreciate him. As far as he knows, no Hyuga has ever lied to the Hokage. "I've never seen this before, but its poor craftsmanship makes it look like one of Uzumaki's pranks."

"Hmm. It does look like something Naruto would do, doesn't it?"

"He's defaced the monument before," Tenten says, putting a little more strength into their defense now that they are nearly home free.

Tsunade looks them over one final time, then sighs. Her intuition tells her that Naruto is somehow involved in this, but that the members of Team Gai are not completely innocent. Still, she has no proof. The kite could have been faked by anyone. "You're free to go."

The young ninja bow politely and scuttle from the room.

"Shizune, send someone to grab that knuckleheaded brat Naruto!"

* * *

_I'm not sure where that last story came from, or even if Team Gai would lie. I bet they would though, to protect one of their own (Lee), and save themselves from embarrassment. Thoughts?_


	20. Chapter 20

_Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

_Author's notes: Originally, chapter twenty was going to be the end. But you all have been so supportive that I have decided to continue, on one condition: If this story ever becomes crappy, let me know so I can end it before I ruin my literary reputation. Thanks for all my reviews!_

_Also, I have no idea where this chapter came from, and there is an original character here, but you'll see why. _

**A Portrait of Youth**

"You're late," Neji greets her, warm breath visible in the air. He and Lee are standing off the beaten path, in possibly the only sunny spot on the Konoha Hospital grounds. Not that the weak winter sun offers much warmth. Tenten will take what she can get though, and she squeezes next to them, mumbling an apology.

A chill northern wind blows down upon them, whipping through the bare branches of the garden trees with a loud whistle. It finds its way inside the thick woolen capes they wear and causes all three to shiver. "Do you think it will snow?" Lee asks, anxiously glancing at the cloudless sky.

Teeth chattering, Tenten shakes her head. She claps her gloved hands together and then shoves them under her armpits for warmth. "Lee, when has it ever snowed here? We'll just freeze to death with none of the fun."

Lee nods sadly and wipes his runny nose as though he isn't sixteen years old. And a Chunin. "Well, I hope Gai-sensei accomplishes his mission soon!"

Tenten looks back and forth between her two teammates, brown eyes wide. "You mean he isn't here yet? Is that why we're standing outside when there's a perfectly good, heated waiting room inside?" She stomps her booted feet as if to illustrate her point.

"No, he isn't here," Neji clarifies, watching two fat little songbirds scratch vainly at the cold earth. "And that waiting room you speak of is full of people with the flu. It is best to avoid prolonged exposure to such conditions."

"We don't want to get sick," Lee adds sagely.

_And what about _these_ conditions? We'll be icicles by the time Gai-sensei returns!_

The man in question appears suddenly in a puff of smoke, holding in his hands the most gaudy arrangement of flowers Tenten has ever seen. He smiles broadly, white teeth the only bright spot on this early winter morning. "Hello, my youthful students! How proud I am, that you fine children have braved this frigid environment to be with me this marvelous morning!"

Lee has stars in his eyes. Tenten just feels confused-- why are they here? And Neji's look plainly says not to be proud of him, because he is not here by choice.

Gai continues, unperturbed. "Thank you for being so patient! You see, Ino Yamanaka was a little late opening shop this morning. Now, if you all will follow me into the building, we shall witness one of nature's most amazing miracles!" He turns and strides off toward the entrance, and his students shuffle after him.

"Ino needs more discipline," Lee says to his teacher's back, earning himself a thumbs-up.

Tenten remembers something, and feels her face flame red. She glances up at Neji and whispers in a low voice, "The last time we discussed nature's miracles, didn't it involve sock puppets and anatomical terms?"

Neji gives a little nod, but says nothing. He would very much like to forget that horrible lesson.

Tenten is suddenly very sure this will be the worst day of their lives.

* * *

The drab, noiseless corridors of the hospital are beginning to grate on Tenten's nerves. They have been down five hallways already, each of them looking exactly the same, and all of them unfamiliar. And that is saying something, when you spend as much time in the hospital as her team does. "Gai-sensei, do you know where we're going?"

"Tenten, do not question Gai-sensei! His sense of direction is absolutely perfect!" The indignant Lee has apparently forgotten about that one time, in the Land of Snow, when she and Gai almost drowned in an icy lake.

Tenten, however, has not. That incident still haunts her dreams. She blanches, becoming as pale as the surrounding hospital walls. "Relax," Neji tells her, pointing to the low, foam-tiled ceiling. It is as plain as everything else. "There are signs."

_Oh, good. Nice to know we won't wander this hospital until the end of time. And at least it's warm._

They pass a large window, the blinds open to show the room beyond. Inside, wrapped tightly against the chill and resting quietly in little basinets, are three pink-cheeked babies. Amazed, Lee stops walking and presses his face to the glass. As he stares, one baby begins to cry, wailing so loudly that it can be heard in the hall itself.

Tenten drops back with him and watches as Gai and Neji turn a corner further down the passage. "Lee, what are you doing? We're being left behind."

Her friend's reply is so muffled by the thick glass that it is unintelligible. Inside the nursery, an old woman steps up to the crib of the crying child and picks it up. She juggles the baby briefly, but it continues to yell. The lady notices Lee plastered to the window, strides over and slams the shades closed.

Lee gives a loud sigh of disappointment as Tenten tugs him away. She swears he actually comes free of the window with a sucking sound. Together, they hurry down the hall after their teammates.

* * *

Gai is ecstatic to see them. "Ah, there they are! I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost!" He and Neji are standing next to a nurse's station in the center of a small reception area. There is one other man in the room with them, pacing a hole into the cracked tile floor.

Behind the counter is a rather frumpy, constipated-looking old nurse who could be the twin of the one they saw earlier. She looks Tenten up and down, frowning. Her voice, when it comes, is hoarse. "Is this the girl?"

"Yes," Gai says, oblivious. "This is my dearest flower, Tenten."

The old woman scribbles her name onto the clipboard in her hand. "She'll need to fill out some forms. And someone please tell me he isn't the father," she mutters darkly, pointing her pen at Lee. "Kids these days."

_Father? Huh?_

"Of course not," Gai says, looking very confused. "Lee is far too young!"

Lee nods along with his teacher. He is not ready for parenthood. No matter how cute he thinks babies are.

The old nurse glares at Tenten again. "So the father is not here?" She clucks in disapproval, then continues. "And when did you first begin having these contractions?"

_Con-- what?_

Neji is the first to grasp the situation. He clears his throat to set the record straight. "There has been a mistake. Tenten is not having a baby."

Tenten sinks into a chair, shocked. How could this old lady have thought she was pregnant? Was she nearsighted or something? Surely the thick cape doesn't make her look that fat?

_I'm going on a diet!_

The woman raises one drawn-on eyebrow. If at all possible, her frown becomes deeper. "If you aren't in labor, then why on earth are you here?"

Everyone turns to look at Gai. His three students find themselves flabbergasted when he answers. "We came to see the birth of a baby."

A what? Surely they are not here for that?

The old nurse slams her clipboard down, causing them all to jump. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

* * *

Gai stops in front of a plain door, hand on the knob. "You all are about to meet someone terribly dear to me. Her name is Atsuko, and she was my teammate many years ago! She left being a ninja a while back, and began working in the hot spring district. Please, be on your best behavior." He raps softly, an odd rhythm known only to himself and the person within.

"Come in, please," a gentle voice calls.

Gai enters the room with a flourish, waving the huge bouquet high. Lee, Neji, and Tenten crowd in uncertainly behind him, and the nurse slams the door shut as soon as they are through. She is glad to be rid of them and the confusion they had brought.

Gai throws himself at a pretty middle aged woman resting quietly in the small room's only bed. Tears stream from his eyes. "My darling Atsuko! How are you? I am so proud of you, bringing another youthful life into this world! How brave of you! What a beautiful struggle this shall be!"

The woman gives a small laugh and pats him on the head the way Tenten sometimes does Lee. Her green eyes are surprisingly tender, and the young squad members each find themselves thinking she looks the epitome of motherhood. "Oh, Gai. I am glad to have you, since the baby's father couldn't be here. And you brought your students. Nice to meet you."

They all bow politely, and Gai somehow manages to choke out the introductions. He even pats Atsuko's grossly swollen belly, referring to the child within as a fine, strong son named Daiki. His students privately think that is a little much.

"How do you know it is a boy?" Lee asks.

Atsuko patiently explains the ultrasound process to him, then fills him in on her pregnancy. They learn that Daiki is her first child, and that she is a little bit frightened. "And when the doctors suggested they induce labor, I asked Gai to come and be with me. He's like a brother, after all."

Tenten has finally recovered from her earlier shock. She glances at Atsuko tentatively. "Are we really going to view the birth?"

Gai nods and takes Atsuko's dainty hand in his. "We have already discussed it. You shall think of it as training!"

Lee salutes oh so seriously and takes out his battered old notebook. "Never fear Gai-sensei! I will become the greatest midwife ever!"

"That's the spirit Lee! Tenten can become a surgeon, just in case anything goes wrong. And I know Neji has a future as an x-ray technician!"

Neji shoots him a look of death.

_Can men even be midwives? And a better question; What woman would allow Rock Lee to deliver her baby? Still, if I can be miraculously pregnant, I guess anything is possible. But do we really have to watch? I was right, this is going to be the worst day ever._

There is another knock on the door, and a bespectacled doctor steps in, eyes focused upon the clipboard in his hands. "All right, Atsuko, let's get this show on the ro-- Excuse me, what are you all doing here?"

_Good question._

Atsuko smiles blindingly and flips her long, dark hair back. "This is my brother, and his children," she lies without hesitation. "They're going to stay with me. If that's alright, Doctor?"

The man clears his throat, looking very unsure. He glances down at the forms in his hand as if they have the answer.

"We'll be good," Lee promises. Gai shoots the man a graceful pose.

"I--"

Atsuko bats her eyelashes. "Please."

The doctor sighs in defeat and pushes his glasses back upon his nose. "Alright, I suppose we can make an allowance just this once. Provided a few basic rules are followed. Nurse!"

As the crotchety old woman enters the room carrying hairnets and scrubs, Tenten resolves to kill her teacher.

* * *

Four hours later, she and Neji sneak out of the room that they have privately dubbed 'Hell' in search of ice for Atsuko. They wander the silent halls for a good twenty minutes, glad to be away from all the screaming and crying and random sentences of youth. After an exhausting hunt, they finally find an ice machine near the front entrance.

Tenten holds the bucket while Neji fills it up with small cubes. Her gaze is focused outside, at the grey world behind the glass double doors. At freedom. "Who wants ice when it's forty degrees out there?"

With his netted head stuck nearly inside the ice machine, Neji does not answer, simply shovels another handful out. It clunks loudly in the bottom of the pail and begins to return to its previous watery state.

Tenten sighs and flexes her rubber gloved fingers. "Did I mention that I am never having kids? Ever?"

Neji pulls out and the corner of his mouth quirks up in what Tenten recognizes as a Hyuga smile. "Afraid Doctor Lee will deliver?" He closes the metal doors, and they turn to look back down the hall. Neither one is in a hurry to get back. Duty calls, however.

_I bet Sakura has never had to do this._

* * *

Two hours after their triumphant return with the ice, the doctor enters the room again. He checks all of the little machines connected to Atsuko, noting her health as well as that of the baby. After commenting on how good everything looks, he moves down to the business end of the bed and peeks under the sheet. "Excellent, eight centimeters dilated! We'll be ready for delivery soon."

As soon as he is gone, Lee walks over and sheepishly lifts the corner of the sheet up. "What did the doctor mean? Dilated?"

"Lee…" Neji warns, the patient voice coming into use for what must be the hundredth time that day.

"Lee, put that down!" Tenten yells, from her seat next to the Hyuga in the corner of the room. She rolls up the magazine she has been glancing through and holds it up menacingly.

"But Tenten, this is a mission! I must know what he was talking about!"

"I don't care!" the kunoichi snaps, waving the makeshift weapon. Neji steps away from her, just in case. "Don't you have any respect for her? She's trying to have a baby!"

"Could you please stop screaming?" Atsuko is red-faced and panting from doing her own, but that does not stop her from growling at Lee and shaking a foot in his direction. "Get away from there."

The blue-scrubbed young man backs away in confusion. Did they not say he should become a splendid midwife?

Gai frowns at the rough treatment of his student, but says nothing. His former teammate, he is sure, is simply so overcome with emotion that she has forgotten that this is to be a learning experience. He begins exhaling quickly, speaking between each breath. "Now, Atsuko, calm down. Remember to breathe!"

Another contraction wracks Atsuko's body, and she grabs hold of Gai's hand in a crushing embrace. The sight of their teachers writhing in pain momentarily distracts Neji and Tenten, but not Lee. The Green Beast uses this opportunity to peek under the forbidden covers.

He promptly passes out.

* * *

"Push, Atsuko! Keep going! Guts!" Gai is crying tears of pain and joy. How beautiful this all is! Soon he shall be an uncle!

"Shut up, Gai! It hurts! I am so going to kill--" Her last word is lost in a scream, and her body doubles up painfully.

Tenten covers her ears and squeezes her eyes shut. _I wish I were home, I wish I were home, I wish…_

Neji puts one hand to his throbbing forehead and thanks any deities that may be listening that his family no longer has to worry about out-breeding the Uchiha.

At their feet, Lee finally sits up after his hour nap. "What is going on?" He takes one look at the messy scene before him, the doctor poised to catch, and faints again.

"You're doing great," the doctor calls. "I can see the head!"

_Oh, gross._

"I'm dying…" Atsuko murmurs weakly, collapsing back onto the pillow.

Gai wrenches his aching hand away and flexes it. "You are most certainly not dying, my flower! Soon you will have a big, beautiful, bouncing, baby boy! He will--"

"Shut up!" It tears itself from three throats at once, as Tenten, Atsuko, and the old nurse glare at Gai. Neji just blinks at the violence.

"Nurse, get that blanket ready!" The doctor calls, and the little group has just a moment to comprehend what that means before Atsuko begins screaming again. "Push, push, push!"

_Stop, stop, stop! I've seen and heard enough!_

Neji mutters something, white eyes focused upon the ceiling. No one hears him.

Suddenly there is a moment of silence. A thin wail shatters it, the sound rising steadily. Tenten catches sight of a chubby baby, tiny body red and covered in muck. Somehow, it is the both the most disgusting and beautiful thing she has ever seen. She reaches down and shakes Lee. "Wake up."

Her friend opens one groggy eye, and glances around the room. "What did I miss?"

The doctor smiles and adjusts his glasses. "Congratulations, Miss Atsuko! You have a son!"

Gai and Atsuko break down then, clinging to each other in their mutual happiness. Lee watches as the baby is handed over to them and then begins to cry himself. It is hard to tell, but Tenten thinks that Neji rolls his eyes.

"Welcome to the world, Daiki," she whispers. "We had a hard enough time getting you here. And I never want to witness anything like this again. Not even if it would make me as powerful as Lady Tsunade."

* * *

As they head home at dusk that evening, freezing and exhausted, Neji brings something up. It is just a tiny thing, a thought that has been troubling him since the birth. "Did that baby look a little familiar?"

"What do you mean?" Lee asks. "Daiki looked like a baby, and they all look alike."

_You will never be a splendid midwife, Lee._

Gai laughs it off. "Nonsense, Neji! Daiki was the spitting image of his perfect, pretty mother!"

Tenten frowns. At the risk of disagreeing with her teacher and getting ripped a new one by Lee, she speaks up. "No, he wasn't. Didn't you see his thick, white hair, and black eyes?"

The smile falls from Gai's radiant face. "You mean-- No, it can't be that. My best friend and eternal rival, breeding? Never!"

"I doubt it was Kakashi," Neji says. "You'd have to get his nose out of that book in order for him to accomplish the real thing."

Tenten nods in agreement, wrapping the cloak that she has sworn to burn tighter around her body. "He did have this funny little mole at the corner of his nose. Almost like--"

_Jiraiya._

"Jiraiya is the father," Tenten whispers, feeling her stomach churn.

All three students gag. Gai begins to sob.

_This has definitely been the worst day ever. And I am definitely never having kids._

* * *

The members of Team Gai were so traumatized by this incident that they remained celibate long after their peers.

* * *

_This would, of course, have to take place before Jiraiya's death. Or at least slightly after it. And I do envision him being the kind of person to love and leave, so there. Hope you all liked it. _


	21. Chapter 21

_Naruto _belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: Mostly rewrites of old stories I had laying around at home. Sorry about the lack of updates, my muse has flown. Thank you so much for all your kind reviews, and here's hoping the next chapter is better._

**A Portrait of Youth**

"How could you?"

"Oh, please forgive me! I didn't know! I thought he was you!"

_Ah, the drama! What a beautiful and terrible and heartrending scene! I am so inspired!_

"How could you mistake us? In bed?"

_Well, they _are_ twins. But even so! Oh, what a tangled web of Fate!_

"I'm so sorry!"

_That wail, those tears! Surely they will carry the day? He must find it in his heart to forgive her!_

"And now you're what? Carrying his child? My nephew who should be my son?"

_Alright, that's just weird. I wonder if Neji's father and uncle…_

"But, Baby, I love you!"

_How poignant! How touching! Truly marvelous! Why a confession of that depth--_

A voice rings out of the darkened room behind him. "Damn it, Gai-sensei! Turn that off! We're trying to sleep!"

The startled teacher leans around the back of his armchair, peering back toward the hotel room's cheap little beds. "But dearest Tenten, I haven't seen this show in a week!"

A tiny bedside light flips on, showing the scowling face of his only female student. "I don't care! It's the middle of the night, I'm sunburned, Lee keeps kicking me in his sleep, and I'm tired of listening to your soap operas! Turn it off."

"But," Gai protests weakly, "We're on vacation!" Surely that counts for something?

Apparently not. A Frisbee comes flying past his head, knocking the antenna from the top of the television. The device dissolves into snow and static. Gai stares at it, horrorstruck. A low keening sound rips from his throat.

"I think you made it worse," Neji mumbles from the other bed.

Tenten just shoves her head under the pillow and tries again to fall asleep.

* * *

Although hastily assembled, the mission was considered perfect. Team Gai would head to the capitol city of Fire Country, and guard the Daimyo's favorite grandson and heir against assassination. The young boy had come down with a childhood disease and was currently too unwell to go on summer progress with his grandsire. When the child recovered, they would reunite the pair, turning them over to their usual bodyguards and getting paid an enormous sum for a job well done.

It was a finely planned, carefully organized operation, and it should have gone off without a hitch. Unfortunately, someone forgot to look at Team Gai's medical records. Less than a day after they arrive, Tenten and Neji develop chicken pox, and the whole mission has to be scraped, the money and the glory turned over to another team.

A grinning Sakura, Sai, and Naruto wave goodbye to their ill-fated, irritated, and itchy comrades.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Neji!"

"Congratulations, my rival!"

Seated at the table in the center of the brightly decorated room, Neji shifts uncomfortably under the eager, watchful stares of his new teammates. What do they want him to say? It has been a long time since he had an actual birthday party, and it was never a noisy affair like this.

Speaking of noisy, a slightly tipsy Gai is perched dangerously on a wooden chair next to him, assaulting his ears with some loud plastic instrument and a ridiculous congratulatory song that he hopes never to hear again. Ever.

Why can they not leave him alone?

"Here, Neji, we baked you some cookies." Tenten smiles warmly while Lee shoves a plate piled high with the little delicacies up under his nose.

Neji eyes them dubiously. Poison?

"Go on, Neji! This is your special day! Indulge in a cookie!" Gai reaches over for his own.

Neji tentatively picks up the sugary concoction, noting that it appears normal enough. Perfect coloring, nice mouth watering aroma. It is even still warm. Gently, he takes a small bite.

And nearly dies. It is like drinking seawater. Or licking a rock. Not that Neji has ever done either.

Tenten sees the look on his face and becomes concerned. She hands him a glass of water, and waits until he has drunk the whole thing before asking, "What's wrong? Taste bad?"

"Salty," Neji confirms. His mouth feels violated, tongue tingly and swollen, throat scratchy. Only the knowledge that it will be every bit as painful flowing through a second time keeps him from vomiting.

"Salty?" Lee questions, brows drawn together in confusion. He crosses his skinny arms and frowns at the ceiling. "Who would put salt in a cookie? They're supposed to be sugary."

Tenten covers her mouth with her hands. Oh, gods. Why didn't she pay more attention? "Lee, when I asked you to hand me the sugar…"

Her oblivious friend looks even more stumped. "But Tenten! I did! I gave you the sugar, you just like you asked me to."

"I think you gave me the salt by mistake."

Neji drops his forehead quietly into the palm of his hand. Is it too late to ask for a transfer to another team?

* * *

It is their second day as Genin, and the crazy man they met yesterday is currently giving yet another speech. All three students, even the gung-ho Rock Lee, have almost completely tuned him out. "…So we will take a test."

"Test?" Lee yelps. He and the other two turn wide eyes up to their teacher. "Huh?"

The man smiles, the early morning light bouncing of his teeth in blinding rays. He gives them a thumb's up. "Yes, a test. Thirty of you bright students passed the Academy's graduation exercise, and now the teachers think it may have been too easy. So we have been instructed to test you again. Only nine students will pass and become actual Genin."

Only nine? Everyone does the quick calculations in their head, and frowns. The chances of them making it are slim and none.

Lee struggles to hold back the tears. He's worked so hard to get here, and now… Well, goodbye dreams.

Tenten grips the kunai she was twirling tighter. There's no way they will send her back. She had the best scores in her weaponry class, after all. That must count for something.

Neji glares down at his feet. He will not be the first Hyuga to be sent back the Academy. It is unthinkable.

Gai sees their anxiety. "Relax, my students. I've devised a very simple test to prove that you three are the most youthful and brilliant! You shall blind your fellow graduates with your determination and abilities. It will--"

"What are we supposed to do?" Neji mumbles, more to himself than anyone else.

Gai seems to hear, though, and he takes it surprisingly well. "Just strike a fabulous pose. If they are imaginative enough, you pass."

A pose? Is the man serious? When Lee does a wobbly handstand and is rewarded with a slap on the back, they know he is.

Tenten and Neji stand there stupefied. How did they end up with such a crazy instructor?

"I will not wait all day," their sensei warns. "We have training to do. Five laps around the village."

Tenten slips down into a split, throwing her arms up into the air and plastering a fake smile on her face for good measure. Gai sniffles at the beauty of it and congratulates her.

Neji begins to sweat. He knows no poses, takes pride on that. How can they expect him to debase himself in such a ridiculous, childish manner?

Gai begins to count backward from ten. Lee and Tenten begin calling out ideas to help him.

He does not want to fail.

Neji drops into the first stance of his Gentle Fist style, and holds it.

Silence falls in the little clearing, while Gai cocks his head from one side to the other, evaluating the technique. Abruptly, he bursts into applause. "So this is the genius of the Hyuga clan that I have heard so much about! Congratulations, you all pass! You are ninja now!"

As he strikes his own poses out of joy, all three wonder just what it is they have gotten themselves into.


	22. Chapter 22

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: I am so sorry for the lack of updates! I have been focused on life and some other projects, and this just got away from me. I will try and do better, and I hope you like it!_

_Oh, and the first story is a sequel to the movie theater chapter._

**A Portrait of Youth**

Rock Lee dodges excitedly around his sleepy female teammate, a forest green and burnt orange blur in the early morning light that has just begun filtering through the trees. His voice is perilously close to begging. "Tenten, you must show me how to fight with a sword like that movie last night!"

The kunoichi leans around him and throws her kunai, intent upon finishing her morning warm-up. It thunks hard into the target, steel flashing, and she turns to her dancing friend with an expression of irritation plastered onto her normally cheerful features. "No, Lee," she says firmly. "Now, please move. I don't want to hit you by accident."

Neji's bowed head snaps up at that statement, disturbed from his early meditation by Tenten's tone. He begins to avidly watch his verbally sparring squad mates, for once interested in their crazy antics. It is, after all, always fun to see Tenten pin the younger boy to an inanimate object by his clothing.

Lee is still lost in the romance of the film that Neji had slept through the previous evening. His dark eyes are shining, rapid gestures even more flowery than usual. The Hyuga decides that he should have been an actor, not a second-rate shinobi. "But Tenten, what if I ever need to rescue a princess?"

The weapons mistress is in no mood for her friend's games. They all stayed out far too late last night, and while she will agree that the movie was great, Tenten missed out on some much needed sleep. Today she is unusually short tempered, and she snaps, "Use your taijutsu."

Lee actually begins to pout, crossing his arms and sticking out his lower lip. "I wanted to use a sword."

"Why?" Neji asks, still unmoved from his cross-legged position on the ground. This is the first time he has joined in the conversation, and the other two are slightly taken aback. They had not even known he was awake.

Lee comes to his side and leans in close, as if imparting a great secret. Neji leans away, desiring his personal space, but he still listens to the younger boy's explanation. "It is much cooler."

They ground beneath them shakes, and they look over to see that the eavesdropping Tenten has dropped her mace. The many-pointed thing is stuck into the loamy forest ground at her feet, and she is lucky that it missed her big toe. She looks at Neji, incredulous. "Did he just say what I think he said?"

Neji gives a small, affirmative nod. Yes, Rock Lee just said that something was cooler than taijutsu. The world is ending. Fearing they may be dealing with some sort of enemy shinobi in disguise, Neji comments in a baiting voice, "Lee, you know those swords aren't real. You can't even make a chakra sword."

Lee kicks an acorn, feeling frustrated at being reminded of his handicap. And by his rival! Oh, the humiliation! "I know! But Tenten could show me how to use a real one! Then, if I ever ran across a damsel in distress, or if Tenten needed my help, I could use one!"

Tenten frowns, thinking it over. If Lee wants to learn so badly, why should she not do the honorable and friendly thing and help him? "Lee, do you really want to learn? You won't give up on it, say when the next movie comes out and someone is using a bow and arrow?"

Her goofy friend solemnly crosses his heart and swears. "I will not let you down, fairest Tenten!"

The kunoichi pinches the bridge of her nose and hefts her weapon. The thing must weigh fifty pounds, but she holds it easily, even swings it back and forth slightly. "First thing's first, stop calling me that!"

Lee salutes her, back ramrod straight. He is completely serious, now in his student mode. "Alright. Can I call you Tenten-sensei?"

The answer is abrupt, fueled by a mental image to terrible for Tenten to even relate. "No."

The rejoinder is almost as much. Lee is determined that his new teacher have a proper, respectful title. "How about Princess Tenten? You know that the two of you did have almost the same hairstyle."

Neji sees a vein sprout on Tenten's forehead. This is getting good.

"Lee, you'll call me by my name or there won't be any lessons!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

The kunoichi walks over to the oak tree where she has left her twin scrolls. Unrolling one, she bites down on the fleshy part of her thumb, does a few hand seals, and swipes the blood quickly across the page. A second later, two wooden swords appear. She trades the mace for one, and hands Lee the other.

The Beautiful Green Beast bows low and then performs a small happy dance. "Thank you, Tenten! You are the best teammate ever! I shall tell Gai-sensei how--"

"On guard."

"Huh?"

A quick swipe, and Lee's weapon goes spinning away into the brush. Tenten lets him run off and retrieve it.

They try again. And again. And again. Lee just cannot seem to get the hang of it. But he is determined, and Tenten knows her business, so they keep going.

Twenty minutes later, Tenten breaks Lee's guard again, and her weapon cracks down upon his head before she can stop it. The young shinobi sinks down onto the ground with a dazed groan, while Tenten dances in circles around him, apologizing profusely.

Watching them, Neji is hard pressed to hide a smirk. This is one princess who will never need rescuing.

* * *

Neji meets Tenten outside of their sensei's beautiful townhouse-style apartment in the chill afternoon air. It is November twenty-seventh, their teammate Rock Lee's birthday, and they have been assigned to decorate for a surprise party to take place later that evening. Neji is relieved to see that Tenten has already acquired the necessary festive décor. "How are we supposed to get in?"

"Easy." The kunoichi hands him the full paper bag she was holding, steps up to the heavy wooden door and stretches up on tiptoe. Her fingers brush over the old lintel, feeling for something and coming up empty. Tongue hanging out in concentration, she tries once more.

Neji frowns, disbelieving. Surely Tenten is not that stupid? They are shinobi, for heaven's sake! No one, not even their oddball teacher, would be dumb enough to leave an extra key in so obvious a place. "He would not hide a key there, Tenten."

He is proved wrong a second later when Tenten bounces down and holds up a bronze key, grinning triumphantly. "You were saying?" She puts the thing into the keyhole and gives a twist, hearing a little click. "We're in. Here's hoping that Gai-sensei managed to get Lee out of the house."

Tenten puts one hand on the doorknob and her other palm flat upon the now unlocked door and gives a little shove. Nothing happens, and she frowns in confusion and pushes harder. The door does not budge. "It's stuck."

"Or it didn't unlock." Neji shifts the bag to his other arm and steps forward, crowding Tenten to the back of the narrow concrete stoop. He puts his own hand on the knob, twists it roughly, and shoves. The door swings open a bare inch, then stops. Its passage is obviously blocked by something.

Tenten steps back up beside him, and tries to peer into the house. "Maybe Lee's still here? Maybe he barricaded the door?"

Neji gives her a strange look, a curious one that is at odds with his normally glacial expressions. "Why would he do that, Tenten?"

The kunoichi shrugs. Really, they have all been together for more than a year now! Should Neji even have to ask? "Because he's Lee? Now, help me get this door open."

Neji dislikes taking orders from his female teammate, but he knows she is right. They need to get into this apartment and get it decorated so they can go on with their lives. He and Tenten take a step back and ram the door with their shoulders, there is a loud crack, and the portal swings open.

The sight they are confronted with is one of horror. Gai's normally immaculate apartment looks like the local dump. The furniture is invisible under the mess, and everywhere they look there are piles of stuff. Old plates litter the trashy landscape, some with food still clinging to them, and green body suits in two different sizes are lying in the most random places. The smell is nauseating.

Tenten holds her nose and steps inside, over the shattered remains of an old lamp which had been left behind the door for some inexplicable reason. Her voice is oddly distorted. "Lee? Hello? Are you in here?"

"If he is," Neji says, scanning the area with his Byakugan and coming up empty, "we'll never find him."

Tenten nearly slips in an old pile of goop. What is going on here? Her sensei is normally a very disciplined man, his house usually spotless. The man organizes his sock drawer, never leaves dishes in the sink, and they have seen him drape plastic over the furniture when he leaves the house on weekend missions. Gai would never, ever let it get like this. Unless…

"He was worried about us."

"Excuse me?" Neji drags his sandal across the floor, trying to rid it of the toothpaste he has inadvertently stepped in. It leaves a creamy white smear across the dusty floorboards.

Tenten does not really know how to explain. No matter how regimented their teacher is, he is also a very passionate man. The last few months, what with the Chunin Exams, the invasion of their village, and their numerous subsequent hospitalizations, Gai must have become a nervous wreck, neglecting his home. It is the only explanation. "Never mind. What should we do?"

Neji glances back toward the still open door as if it is obvious. No matter what orders they have been given by Gai, this is not their fight. Lee can have his birthday somewhere else. "Just take him out to dinner."

Tenten frowns, and glances around the dingy apartment. She can see no way out of this. "I can't. I spent all my money on those decorations you're holding."

Neji gives a little snort. Typical Tenten.

The kunoichi sighs, picks up one dirty spandex outfit between her thumb and forefinger and tosses it into a distant corner. Maybe, just maybe, she can have this all sorted out by the time the party is supposed to start. "I guess I'm stuck cleaning this mess up. Where do you suppose the trash bags are?"

Remembering his previous scan, Neji nods toward the spot where the kitchen used to be. "Upper cabinet, third one on the left." He makes no attempt to cross the cluttered room and retrieve them, having already decided that his job will simply be to stand in the flow of fresh air from outside and hold the paper bag.

Gritting her teeth, Tenten heads toward the kitchen. The smell gets worse as she approaches the room, and she hopes that there are no rats. She knocks over a pile of newspapers roughly waist high, then grabs the corner of the bar countertop and goes to step over them. Something sticks to her arm, and she looks down to find a fuzzy grey leech clinging to the skin.

"Gross!" Her shout brings Neji running, and he slides around one ill-positioned shoji screen just in time to see Tenten fling the thing to the ground at his feet. She pulls one small senbon from the center of one of her buns and promptly skewers the nasty thing, pinning it to the floor. "What is that?"

Neji picks up the shish-kabob with his free hand, observes it with his keen eyesight. "It appears to be a fake mustache."

Tenten stares at the item Neji is holding, both disgusted and flabbergasted. "A what?" She holds up her hand to forestall any further explanation from her genius teammate. "Never mind, I don't want to know!"

Many minutes of wading through garbage later, Tenten finally makes it around the bar and reaches up to the target cabinet. She jerks the door open, half expecting an avalanche of junk to bury her. Nothing happens though; her teacher has apparently not even bothered trying to hide his mess away.

Neji glances at the window next to him, debating upon trying to open it. After a moment's hesitation-- the thing could be glued shut or something-- he decides the room could really use another draft to form a cross breeze. He tosses the senbon to the ground and slides open the shoji shutters. A note falls to the floor, one that is addressed to him and Tenten in their teacher's hurried scrawl.

A few feet away, the angry kunoichi is shoving almost anything within reach into the black plastic bags, sorting through trash with a vengeance. "Lee had better not be hiding in his room or something," she mutters. "I don't want him making a surprise appearance and ruining everything once we get these decorations half put up."

"I wouldn't worry." Neji holds up the note. "Gai sent him out to get a special tea--"

Tenten's head jerks up, her brown eyes wide. "He what? That's no good! Lee could come back at anytime!"

"--From some little town at the border." The Hyuga finishes calmly. "He won't be back until nightfall."

"Oh."

A few heartbeats pass, the two young shinobi thinking of their weird birthday-boy teammate who might even now be hauling his speedy way back toward them. And then Tenten goes back to shoveling dirty clothing and half-eaten food into garbage bags while Neji keeps a lookout for anything that could be hazardous to their health.

Oh, the things you do for friends.

* * *

The full moon is high overhead, lighting the playground perfectly. Giggling in a loud manner that is out of character for her, a slightly tipsy Tenten jumps on one end of the long see-saw and gestures for someone to take the other. "Come on, don't you remember doing this when you were little?"

Neji and Lee, perfectly sober for the simple fact that they cannot handle the levels of alcohol that were required for their earlier mission, just stare. Gai had told them to escort their teammate home, and all was going well, until the kunoichi spotted the park and decided to take a trip down memory lane.

"No," Neji answers her, responding both to her question and invitation. He stands back and crosses his arms over his white shirt, frowning. His teammate has never acted quite so childish, at least not in a long time, and he is a little unsure how to deal with it.

Lee, however, has no such hesitancy. He runs over to the teeter-totter and climbs on the other end, which immediately sinks toward the earth due to his heavier weight. Tenten rises into the air, throwing her arms out wide and laughing the whole way. It is almost like flying!

But then Rock Lee's end bangs hard upon the ground, and the shock knocks the young woman off the other side of the apparatus. Tenten hits the ground hard, her reflexes so dulled by the liquor that she is unable to perform a correct landing. Lee tumbles from the other side, but at least he has just inches to fall.

Neji turns his gaze up toward the moon, feeling just a little bit disgusted at the fact that two chunin under his command were defeated by a see-saw. What is his team coming to?


	23. Chapter 23

_Naruto_ © Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's notes: I am sadden to report that we are approaching the end of this collection, as I am almost out of ideas. Thank you for all of your wonderful support! You guys are the best!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

"Gai-sensei! What is that?" Lee's eager voice is incredibly loud in the cool darkness. Tenten and Neji cringe, glad that they are all alone in this little clearing far from the village. If their teammate were to shout in this manner back home, in the middle of the night… Well, there is no telling what a community of tired shinobi would do to them. Tenten hopes that such a death would be quick and relatively painless. Neji hopes he would have a chance to join the mob.

Gai's response is no less modulated, and even the earsplitting cicadas go silent when he speaks. He smiles in the darkness and the light of the full moon pings off his perfect teeth. "Come closer, my students! I have arranged-- at great expense, I might add-- a marvelous opportunity for you! Tonight, with your most youthful eyes, you shall view the wonders of the universe!"

Tenten squints her chocolate eyes, straining against the blackness as she walks toward her sensei. Unlike her male teammates, her night vision is less than perfect, and she can just now make out what Lee was shouting about. Next to their teacher is an odd contraption, a long and shiny red cylinder-- tube, she corrects herself-- perched upon a head-high tripod. Realization dawns on her, and Tenten knows that although she has never seen one before, she is looking at--

"A telescope?" Neji asks, voice managing to sound both disinterested and scathing. This is what their teacher commanded them to walk all the way out here for? A glimpse at stars that can be seen perfectly well from here? Will his teacher never cease? Looking at the odd man, watching the way his small eyes twinkle like the heavens above, Neji is sadden to realize that the answer is no.

"What are we going to look at?" Lee asks, trying to follow the scope's line of sight. The fact that he sees nothing out of the ordinary is not at all disappointing, and he whirls back to face his teacher, hope shining in his wide eyes. "Is there a meteor shower tonight or something? I have wanted to see one, ever since Naruto said we slept through that one at the hotel in Suna."

Gai shakes his head, feeling a little bit sorry that he is about to let his favorite young student down. "No, Lee. Unfortunately, there is no awe-inspiring shower tonight, but please hold onto your youthful dreams. One day, you shall undoubtedly see one! Tonight, however, we shall focus all our burning attention on the amazing celestial bodies visible above us! Venus, Mars, Uranus--!"

Neji gives a derisive little snort, and Tenten giggles in a rare moment of childishness.

Not Rock Lee, though. "Sensei, why do we need a telescope to see your anus?"

Stargazing will never be the same.

* * *

_Click._

"Stop doing that."

_Click._

"Neji!"

"What?"

"Stop doing that! I mean it!"

"I beg your pardon?"

_Click._

"That! If you don't stop closing your eyes in this picture, so help me…"

"Dearest teammates, are we finished with our inspiring photo shoot yet? I think I am blind--"

"Not until Neji quits closing his eyes."

_Click._

"Neji! Arg!"

"The light hurts my eyes."

"Just hold them open one time. Really, is that too much to ask? This is our team photo, after all."

"Tenten, my friend! Look at all the pretty, swirly colors…"

_Click._

"You did it again!"

"There, there, my youthful flower. If Neji chooses to close his eyes during our amazing, magnificent, stupendously super squad photo, that is his personal choice, and as his supportive, understanding new teammates, we are bound to respect his wishes. Now, smile everyone!"

_Click._

* * *

_What is that?_

Walking behind Rock Lee on the narrow forest trail, staring at his green clad back, Tenten's eyes catch sight of something rather nasty looking. Not breaking her ground-eating stride, she turns back to face Neji, who is acting as their lookout and rearguard. Silently mouthing the question, knowing the Hyuga can read her lips, she points forward to the back of the oblivious younger boy's neck.

Neji squints at the indicated area and frowns. Located just above Lee's collar, extending upward into the boy's onyx hairline, is the largest and reddest splotch of skin he has ever seen on a person. He wonders if Lee is having an allergic reaction to something? Possibly, but to what? He peers closer, noting how the whole thing is raised and swollen, seeing the careful way in which Lee turns his head back and forth, almost as though he is in pain.

Tenten raises her eyebrows in a questioning manner, waiting for an explanation. She will be lucky not to trip, walking backwards as she is. Her hands flash quickly, fingers flying, using the ninja sign language there learned long ago in the Academy: Any ideas?

Neji takes one last look at the huge knot-- almost a hump, really-- on his friend's neck and his frown deepens, his analytical mind finally recognizing the ugly thing. His disgusted white eyes meet Tenten's curious ones, and he does not even bother to whisper his answer. Who cares if Lee hears? Maybe he could be prodded into some responsibility? Probably not. "It's a boil."

"Yuck." Tenten pulls a face, grimacing and wrinkling her nose. She finally turns back around, narrowly avoiding a low-hanging tree branch, and her eyes once again latch onto the angry red abscess. The thing is so repulsive looking that she finds she cannot look away. Taking a deep breath, she puts on her best patient voice, and asks, "Lee, do you know that you have a boil on the back of your neck?"

Her friend shakes his head determinedly, marching forward without breaking long stride and not bothering to look backwards at them. His voice is strange when if floats back to their ears, heavy and laced with denial so thick it makes every word sound like its own separate sentence. "I do not."

Tenten glances back to Neji, and that look conveys a great number of things; her revulsion for the situation, her disbelief at their friend's always irrational behavior and his endless odd quirks, and one very important, burning question. Simply put, what are they supposed to do about this? If they leave Lee injured, does that count as endangering the mission? "Um, yes Lee. You do."

"No, I do not. My neck is fine." Lee speeds up, trying to put some distance between his aching neck and his curious teammates. While he truly believes that Neji would leave him alone to his pain, he is not so sure about the weapons welding kunoichi. Chances are good that Tenten will get just a little too anxious and try to help him out. Does she not realize how bad the thing hurts?

"Lee, you need to pop that right now. You'll get sick."

Apparently not.

"No."

"Lee." Tenten's voice has a warning edge to it now. She begins walking faster, coming closer.

"No." His own sounds petulant, and it takes everything he has not to look back or break into a run.

Rock Lee realizes what a mistake that actually is when, moments later, his friends close the distance and tackle him to the forest floor. Neji holds him down, striking a few chakra points on his arms and thus immobilizing him. Tenten actually kneels upon his back and wastes no time in poking him with a senbon, lancing the swollen thing and allowing the pus to drain. One second of burning pain, and then, mercifully, relief.

"Thank you," Lee crows, stretching his neck this way and that as they haul him roughly to his feet. "That feels much better."

"You're welcome," Neji mutters, having secretly enjoyed the sight of Tenten skewering the younger boy.

"No problem," Tenten murmurs weakly, glancing at the putrid, bloody mess that is quickly spreading on the back of Lee's spandex suit. She is trying her best not to vomit. "What are friends for?"

* * *

Tenten sees him first, a blue-grey blur shuffling down Tea Avenue toward them, difficult to recognize in the strange clothes and hazy summer heat. "Lee," she cries out in joy, heart banging around happily inside of her chest. This morning, their friend had gone in for a life threatening surgery, possibly never to return, and the stupid old elders currently in charge of the village had forced them to leave his side and help with the reconstruction.

"Dearest Tenten!" Lee yells unreservedly, lifting one hand off of his ever-present wooden crutch and waving vigorously at them. He clomps toward the two at a slightly faster pace, breathing loudly, the sweat rolling its way down his healing body, desperate to see his teammates before the hospital staff and an angry Lady Tsunade come looking for him. "Neji, how good to see you!"

"Lee!" Tenten cries again, and only Neji, standing behind her with the back end of the heavy timber beam they are carrying across one shoulder, hears her voice break. A bare second later, long before he has time to physically prepare himself, she drops her end and takes off running toward their limping friend, leaving him staggering under the weight.

"Tenten?" Neji gasps, trying to decide what to do. Gods, he understands her relief at seeing their squad mate alive, but he is being crushed here! Finally, he finds the strength to hold his end of the beam aloft and squeeze out from under it, letting it drop when he is safely to the side. It hits the ground with what feels like an earthquake, and narrowly misses his toe.

By now Tenten has smothered Lee in too enthusiastic hugs, and the younger boy is wishing that he had taken more pain medication before sneaking out of the hospital. He lets himself be gently lead by the fussy kunoichi to a makeshift bench, which is in fact nothing more than a rough plank laid across two paint cans. She settles him there, smiling and somehow holding the tears back. Then she proceeds to sit beside him. "I knew you'd--"

"I would what?" Lee asks, as his talkative teammate trails off beside him. Tenten goes white around the lips and immediately jumps up, turning around and glaring daggers down at her seat. One of the tears manages to roll unchecked down her tan cheek. "Tenten, are you alright?"

With a polite but unnoticed nod to Lee, Neji steps up next to Tenten and observes the focus of her anxious and-- pain filled?-- gaze. With his keen eyesight, it is only to easy to see what ails her. The part of the timber she had sat upon was not yet sanded and, consequentially, she now has some fairly large splinters in a very unpleasant place. "Didn't anyone ever tell you to watch were you sit?"

Dark eyes turn and meet his, and Tenten's voice is little more than a desperate whisper. "Please get them out."

Lee glances hurriedly back and forth between the two, burdened with the feeling that he is missing out on something important. "What is going on? Get what out?"

Neji tries hard not to smirk. He really does, but after Tenten had so thoughtlessly left him hanging moments ago with the beam… Well, it has been said that payback is a bitch. Neji is well-bred though, member of an esteemed and respected family, and he gives an answer that could be considered just as delicate. "She has splinters in her… derrière."

Lee's voice is even and flat, and that is how they know he is genuinely confused, as opposed to just plain shocked. "Her what?"

"My butt, Lee!" The strained, high-pitch of Tenten's voice catches as much attention from nearby workers as the actual word she uses. Their over-the-top staring quickly becomes embarrassing, and she flushes red. One hand wraps tightly around the tan sleeve of Neji's shirt, both from anger and the need for some kind of physical support, and she hisses under her breath, "Do something."

Neji frowns at the contact, for he has never really enjoyed being touched, and turns to face Lee. "I suppose we are all going back to the hospital."

There is no way he is pulling those out, after all.

Tenten gets the last laugh, however. The hospital still full of people recovering from Orochimaru's surprise attack, and ninja that have since worked themselves to exhaustion, no one has time for something as trivial as removing splinters, even if they are from a rather delicate area.

Neji has no choice but to take her back to the Hyuga estate, and explain to his dignified family members the sensitive issue. His family's pearl eyes are both disapproving, and humor-filled. In the end, Hinata calmly pulls the splinters, and it becomes a story told throughout generations. They even give it a title:

_How Neji, One Hyuga Genius, Refused to Pull Splinters from His Teammate's Behind._


	24. Chapter 24

_Naruto © _Masashi Kishimoto_._

_Author's notes: The next chapter (25) will be the last, although I have decided I will one day do a sequel to this. That will be later though, probably early next year after I finish some other projects. Thanks again for all your kind reviews and your support!_

**A Portrait of Youth**

Neji knocks quietly on the door of the fashionable-- and this time, hopefully clean-- townhouse, shuddering at the remembered horror of last year's visit. This same time last year, when they had been forced to clean the home up for their teammate's surprise birthday party, he and Tenten had found themselves wading through enough filth to put Konoha's small landfill to shame. He still has the nightmares, and he hopes that this visit will be marginally better.

The door is abruptly flung open, and the Hyuga jonin finds himself suddenly face to face with his younger teammate. Rock Lee gawks at his sudden appearance, almost as if he has never seen him before, and then his dark eyes get slightly misty. "Neji, my teammate! How good it is to see you! Did your mission go well?" Without giving him time to answer, Lee leans forward and whispers conspiratorially, "You missed my birthday party."

Somehow, there comes a yell from deep inside the house. "Lee, don't you guilt trip him into getting you anything! You know that he was busy." A loud ruffling sound, and then an angry faced Tenten comes to the door, carrying with her a large black plastic bag that immediately gives Neji scary flashbacks. When she spots him, she breaks into a reassuring grin and continues, "Don't worry, this time I'm cleaning up _after_ the party. No big deal, though I think Kiba was already drunk when he got here, and I did find a spot where he got sick."

Lee frowns-- he does not remember either the filthy house or a tipsy friend-- and glances back and forth between the two before speaking to the kunoichi. "I do not understand, but I was not harassing him into anything." He turns to Neji and his eyes light up again, whole body seeming to quiver with excitement. "Gai-sensei gave me a wonderful new spandex suit, and one of those amazing little plants that grows off of a statue. And you will never guess what Tenten got me! It is a pet--"

In order to forestall any more youthful explanations, Neji holds at out an expertly wrapped package-- bright green foil with the most gaudy orange polka dots and bow-- complete with a tag on top that reads 'Happy Belated Birthday, Rock Lee' in a beautiful, flowing script not his own. The gift, as far as presents go, is pretty lame, just something he had run across on the way home, and Neji cannot help but be grateful that Hinata had been willing to help him with everything else.

"For me?" Lee asks as he reaches for the gift, his voice awed and his eyes wide. Neji has always come to all his parties, but this is the first time the prodigy has ever really bothered with the bringing of a present. One that was not specifically signed 'The Hyuga Family,' anyway. Lee's eyes go all watery again, and in that moment he looks very much like the passionate Gai.

"It only has your name on it," Tenten grumbles, feeling just a tad bit put out. How dare Neji not listen when Lee described her awesome present! Stupid Hyuga! She had thought that it was so witty, too… Tenten is distracted from her funk by the sound of ripping wrapping paper, and turns to see if their jonin friend managed to outdo her.

Lee has decimated the shiny emerald colored foil, and is now holding between his strong hands a small, plain cardboard box. He decides that he should go ahead and show some gratitude for the unexpected gift, so that Neji will know that it was appreciated, no matter what it turns out to be. "Thank you, Neji! I shall treasure this always!"

The Hyuga arches an eyebrow, misunderstanding his male friend. His ongoing, private estimation of Lee's intelligence drops another few notches, lowering faster than the liquid level in a bowl of ramen being drained by Naruto. His voice is dry over the sound of Tenten's giggling. "The present is not a box, Lee. You have to open it."

"I'm sure that you are welcome, though," Tenten quickly adds, shooting an admonishing look at Neji. What is it about boys, that they always need reminding when it comes to their manners? Gods, if she was not here to keep the peace…

Lee flushes red, embarrassed at the idea of his actions being misinterpreted. He hastily opens the lid of the box, and peers inside. There is something in the bottom, he cannot see exactly what it is, but he has the vaguest sense of déjà vu. Turning it over, he dumps the thing carefully out into his palm. It is a rock, one with a goofy little smile painted upon it. "Wow."

"No way," Tenten murmurs quietly, dropping the bulging trash bag and leaning closer for a better look. Her chocolate brown eyes flash up to meet Neji's pearly white ones, and there is an emotion in them-- or a warning-- that he cannot read. "You got him a pet rock?"

Neji has the vaguest sense of unease as he stares at the two. Has he committed some sort of social taboo that he was unaware of? In Lee's case, he had thought the idea of a pet rock was rather appropriate. Was it perhaps not? Did it bring up painful memories or something? Figures, the one time he actually takes the time to get a present… He gives a little sigh. Fate really does hate him.

With his empty hand, Lee reaches back into his pouch and pulls out another rock, one that is identical to the first but instead wears a deep frown. "Great, now I have two! Thank you so much, my eternal rival!" He lifts the rock with the smile, the one that Neji had bought him. "I shall call this one Tenten. And this one I have already dubbed Neji!"

Neji gives another sigh. Here they go again…

* * *

"There it goes again!" Frustration is clearly evident in Tenten's voice.

Neji cracks one lazy white eye open, turns slightly on the sofa. "What?"

"Yes, Tenten, what is it?" Lee is sprawled on the wooden floor, a pillow behind his head.

Gai is snoring in his favorite chair, oblivious to their heated exchange.

"That noise, like a fly. Or a mosquito. Or _something_." Tenten's last word is more like a growl.

"And?" Neji closes his eye, unconcerned.

"It is just a bug," Lee reassures her, rolling over onto his stomach.

"But it's loud! Why is it even in the house?" Tenten glances around for the offending thing.

Neji gives a snort. "It is ninety degrees outside, and the window is wide open. Of course it's in the house."

Silence falls in the oven-like room.

"Ugh, it's right in my ear." Tenten heaves herself angrily out of the room's other chair and disappears.

Lee turns his head, trying to see. "Where did she go?"

Neji says nothing, because he really does not care. If only the air would come back on!

Quiet. They can hear someone peddling ice cream in the street.

Stealthy footsteps on the floorboards alert them to their kunoichi's return. Both boys open wary eyes.

"She's got a flyswatter," Lee whispers, sounding frightened.

Despite the heat, Neji feels a chill settle over him.

Gai continues to snore.

The first of many _thwacks_ resounds through the room, followed by a muffled curse.

For a weapons mistress, Tenten's track record with insects is surprisingly pitiful.

* * *

"If we take this pass here…"

"We should take a boat."

Both Neji and Tenten leave off gazing at the large, laminated topographical map on the ground in front of them and turn to stare at Rock Lee. The young man is confidently standing a few feet away from them, on the bank next to the gently flowing river, his green suit and orange legwarmers at odds with the water behind him. Knowing that their friend's sense of direction is less than perfect, they both open their mouths to protest.

Lee cuts them off, pointing excitedly downstream. His eyes are bright, almost fevered. "We need to go east, correct? And the ocean is east from here, right? Do not all rivers eventually flow to the sea? We could take a boat, sail down the river, and get off wherever it is most convenient. Since we are finished with our mission, it really should not matter how long we take."

Tenten has to admit that she is intrigued by the idea of not walking the whole way back to the village, but something about this just feels wrong to her. Almost as if they are somehow cheating destiny. "I don't know, Lee. Rivers curl back and forth on themselves all the time, and we don't know if this one even runs through Fire Country. Suppose we end up so far south that we still have to walk the same distance?"

Lee smiles, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He has never ridden on a boat, and he wants the experience badly. As such, he will say almost anything to make Neji and Tenten agree with him. "But Tenten, if we end up that far south, we will just have to take care of those pirates that are Gai-sensei's old rivals. It will be a fiery adventure of the spirit, and Gai-sensei will be so proud, and maybe the Hokage will give us a bonus, and--"

Even with the thought of extra money, Tenten sighs. Normally, she tries to give poor Lee more credit than this, but if it means using the patient voice and trying some sort of odd psychology on him, well, she is not above that. And she really has a bad feeling about all of this. "Don't you need to go home and feed Neji Two and Tenten Two? I'll bet they are hungry, and lonely."

Lee puts his nose in the air, closes his eyes, and half turns away from them both. His whole expression turns haughty, much the way it did at that first Chunin Exam when they were children, and his name went continually un-chosen for a match. "Do not be silly, Tenten. Pet rocks do not get hungry. And anyway, we shall be home faster if we catch a ride."

"Listen Lee, I just don't think that we should--"

"No, Lee is right," Neji interjects smoothly, eyes having traced the newly proposed route on the map. He begins refolding the said object, all the while laying out their new plan. "We will get back quicker if we go this way. This river actually branches into one of those smaller ones that run right past the village. We can charter a boat-- there a plenty around here-- and sail back home."

"Fine." Tenten sighs the word, knowing she has been outvoted. Lee and Neji have just sided with one another against something she said. How in the world did that happen? One glance at the ecstatic visage of Rock Lee, and her mood darkens further. Accusing chocolate eyes meet his onyx ones and she mutters so that Neji cannot hear, "You just wanted to go on a boat trip."

Lee just smiles.

--

Sometime later, although the water remains calm, the three find themselves floating in a little boat upon a fast, unseen current in the center of the river, headed for home at an incredible speed. The ride is surprisingly gentle, and everyone agrees that it is much better than hoofing it over the open and possibly hostile terrain of this unfamiliar little country.

Lee sits in the prow, enjoying the spectacular views and providing somewhat of a lookout. Not that they need be too concerned; no one has seen the first obstacle yet. Neji hangs out in the stern of the craft, resting with their small tiller within easy reach. In the middle, surrounded by their bags and holding tightly to her scroll, Tenten begins to relax. This is not near as bad as she had thought it would be…

The summer sun overhead is warm, and it soon begins to work its magic on the travelers. Tenten begins to nod forward, dropping her head onto the top of Neji's traditional cloth bag. The thing makes a nice pillow, and the last thing she hears is Neji calmly telling Lee to yell if there is any trouble. As if something could go wrong, and Lee not yell… Really, that is all their friend does.

Tenten is awakened hours later by the oddest bumping sensation, and she blinks is surprise to see the sun dropping low behind them in the west. Set against the backdrop is Neji, looking groggy and just a little bit troubled. Had he also gone to sleep? She is about to ask him when he mutters something and points. Tenten turns around to see Rock Lee passed out in the bow, the novelty of the trip having quickly worn off.

"Damn it, Lee. You were supposed to--" And then she sees something else, something far more important, and her feeling of irritation becomes one of panic. One shaky index finger stretches out, pointing toward the horizon, and she whirls back around to be sure that Neji sees it too. Her voice quavers in disbelief. "Neji, the river _stops."_

Neji nods, trying to remain calm. Their map had said nothing about this. Of course, if their lookout had been paying attention, it would not be a problem. He begins hauling on the tiller for all that he is worth. It is not enough though, and in the end he almost allows the building waves to swamp the small craft. His order to Tenten is short and to the point. "Wake Lee up and grab what you can."

The kunoichi attaches her scroll to her back, wondering vaguely if she can swim with it on. Then she prods Lee with her foot, and watches with some sort of odd, bemused fascination as he wakes up and takes in their predicament: the boat spinning wildly out of control, coming ever nearer to the now thunderously loud-- and seemingly bottomless-- waterfall in front of them.

"I'm sorry!" The Beautiful Green Beast yells over the sound of the rushing water.

Tenten smiles grimly, turns back around to face Neji. "If we live through this, I am going to kill him."

The Hyuga nods grimly, and they spin ever closer to the end of the world.

* * *

"This is stupid," Tenten whispers to Neji, twirling a pair of sharp metal scissors casually around and around on her finger by the ringed handle. If it were anyone else handling those blades, the three males in the room would have already fled.

The Hyuga, sitting on one of their teacher's barstools next to her, is slightly horrified at the scene that is being played out in front of them. He gives the barest nod, but his white eyes never leave the blasphemy ahead.

"Now Lee, in honor of your coming to live with me and being my esteemed pupil, today we shall give you the spirited haircut of a man! We shall sever those childish locks, the unfashionable, unyouthful symbol of your old life, and give you a sensational new do! One cool and worthy enough of a splendid ninja, a true taijutsu genius!"

"Excuse me, Sensei, but can my hair look like yours?"

Gai winks and smiles and the flash off his perfect pearl teeth is brighter than the light reflected off of the spinning shears in Tenten's hand. "That is the plan, Lee! You shall become my disciple in every meaning of the word. This shall be a glorious day, commemorated by the gathering of friends and the--"

Tenten gives a little cough. Would the man hurry it up already? She has the feeling that they will not be allowed to leave until this awful task is finished.

Gai places the bowl he was holding upon Lee's head to use as a guide, and then whirls to face her. "Did you want your hair cut too, my sunflower? Shorter hair would be easier to maintain during your rigorous, fiery training."

Tenten blanches and holds out the scissors. "No, I just thought you need these," she murmurs weakly.

"I do indeed." Gai turns to Neji, holding the sharp object in front of him like a weapon. It almost looks like he plans to mug the boy, force him to do something awful at scissor point, at least until he strikes a pose that looks like it knocks his hip painfully out of socket. "Did you want me to do your's as well?"

Neji's indignant face turns the most interesting color, and Tenten quickly intercedes. Although they are in Gai's spotless home, away from prying eyes, she would rather their team not kill each other. "No thanks, Gai-sensei. Neji is pretty particular about his hair. Lee looks rather impatient though."

"So he does, dearest Tenten! Lee, when I am through with you…"

Tenten sighs. No matter what Gai says, this is not going to be pretty.


	25. Chapter 25

_Naruto © _Masashi Kishimoto.

_Author's note: What an interesting year it has been! 25 chapters, 200+ reviews, and more than 60 of you added this to your favorites. You guys have all been incredibly patient and wonderful, and I love each and every one of you. Thanks for your kind support, and here's the final chapter._

**A Portrait of Youth**

"How did we get here?"

The sound of Tenten's voice, combined with the gentle touch of her gesturing arm across his knee, pulls Neji from his reverie. He sighs inwardly, upset that his meditation had been ruined-- he had been trying so hard to ignore her, and their present situation-- and opens his eyes. The tiled ceiling meets his gaze as he answers, "You became ill, remember? And we were forced to terminate the mission."

Neji feels Tenten draw away. When her rejoinder comes a moment later, it is indignant, the closest she has ever come to truly arguing with him. "You got sick, too. Don't make it out to be my fault. Anyway, I don't count us having to take sick leave as a mission failure."

Neji gives a little snort, then immediately regrets it as it causes his throat to begin itching. His next biting comment is aimed at Tenten's miserly ways in an effort to annoy her. "So you are not upset that you missed the chance to be rewarded by the daimyo himself?"

_To be rich?_

"It was my fate," Tenten throws back, further upsetting him. Neji decides that they are some battles not worth fighting, so he acts like an adult and lets the mocking remark slide.

They retreat into themselves for a very long time, each feeling sick and aggravated and more than a little embarrassed at their current circumstances. The shockingly clean, white porcelain room grows silent around them, becomes so quiet that they can actually hear the gentle ticking of Gai's favorite old clock out in the hallway.

Suddenly, Tenten begins giggling. Curious, Neji drops his eyes from the ceiling and finally allows himself a glance at her. She is sitting across from him, every bit as nude as he is, and because she is his friend and teammate he makes sure that he keeps his eyes on her face and not the much whiter skin of her breasts, the tops of which are just visible over the water line.

"You do realize that we are sitting in a bath of oatmeal, right?"

"Yes," Neji replies with as much dignity as he can manage. Which is not very much, given that his whole body is covered in unbelievably itchy, crusty red bumps, but still more than anyone else his age could have managed, especially given their current state of affairs. He arches one dark eyebrow. "Do you find this amusing?"

Tenten smiles and pulls her splotchy knees up to her chest, hiding her assets from view. "Very."

Neji says nothing, just stretches his cramped legs out. Inwardly, he thinks that Tenten has finally lost it, and he is not really surprised. He had always wondered about her sanity, what with her obsession with sharp, shiny, pointed things… Still, who would have thought something as simple as chicken pox would be her mental undoing?

_I had always figured Lee and Gai would be institutionalized long before you…_

Another titter. "Neji, your hair is falling in the oatmeal."

That is it. Neji decides that he is getting out. Now.

Turning away from Tenten's always inquisitive brown gaze, presenting her with a view of his red-splotched back, he puts his hands on the rim of the tub and prepares to stand up and step out. No sooner do the tops of his hips clear the bran-filled water then Tenten gives a shockingly loud little squeal and yells at him to sit down. Although he wishes to do anything but, the shocked Neji obeys her.

"Don't go walking around naked," Tenten pleads. Her face is bright red, and Neji can tell that it is due to more than just her illness. Still, if she was so embarrassed by his nudity, why had she not simply covered her eyes? After all, _he_ had graciously looked away when _she_ first climbed into the tub. And he had done his utmost to ignore her since then.

_It is not as though I want to be naked in front of you… And I was here first._

Tenten sinks lower into the lukewarm bath, trying to hide her flaming cheeks. She only stops when the tip of her nose brushes the waterline. Her next words are distorted due to her mouth being hidden below the surface of the silky water. "Besides, you know we can't just get out and walk away. Lee stole our clothes."

Neji's next question is asked as much in disbelief as it is to be sure he has not misheard. "He did what?"

Tenten sits up so that she can be better understood. "Lee. When he shoved me in here, he stole my clothes. I'm pretty sure that he took yours, too. It's probably the only way he and Gai thought they could keep us here. So you see," she finishes, "we can't just get out and go home."

_At least, not without learning more about one another than we ever wanted to know…_

One the other side of the bathroom, the heavy glass door slides open. Rock Lee stands there, dressed in only his bright green bathing suit, a fluffy white towel thrown over his shoulder and a smiling rubber duck in his hand. He has obviously been planning to join them. "Neji, my rival, is everything okay? I thought I heard dearest Tenten scream."

"Oh sure, he gets a swimsuit," Tenten mutters, cutting her dark eyes at Lee while crossing her pimpled arms over her chest. "That's really fair."

Neji ignores both Tenten's sarcastic comment and the younger boy's question and gets right to the point. "Lee, where are our clothes?"

Lee smiles widely and hangs the towel upon a nearby rack, adjusting it just so. "Gai-sensei thought that it would be good for us to give them a thorough washing, especially since you both scratched your scabs off while wearing them. To hygiene!"

"This whole situation was orchestrated so that you could wash our clothes?" Neji is skeptical.

"Well, we had heard that bathing in oatmeal does wonders to relieve the itching and rash associated with chicken pox, so Gai-sensei and I thought that we should try it. Of course, you must be naked for the bath to really help… That is when we decided that we should wash your clothes while you were in the tub. By the way, is the oatmeal helping?"

"A little," Tenten admits.

"Not at all," Neji lies.

"In that case, I shall keep the two of you company until all of your itchiness has been soothed away!" Lee squeaks his yellow rubber ducky for good measure.

It has never been Tenten's dream to sit butt-naked in a bath with her two teammates. Not to mention… "Lee, I don't think that there is enough room in this tub."

"There isn't," Neji murmurs, turning away from her again. "I'm getting out."

"Neji!"

"Neji, my eternal rival, I do not think that it is appropriate for you to exit the bath in the nude! At least, not when our fair Tenten is watching. It is most unchivalrous!"

Tenten turns her face away from where Neji has paused his escape at the edge of the tub, choosing to focus on the hapless Lee instead. At least _he _is somewhat dressed, and therefore suitable to look at. "No, what's inconsiderate is you and Gai shoving us in here together in the first place!"

Lee blushes and glances at the floor, for once appearing quite sheepish. "Well, we did not have enough oatmeal for two baths. It was not our intention to embarrass either of you. Please accept my apology."

Sensing his weakness, Tenten rushes in for the emotional kill. She forces herself to take a page from Neji, to sound cool and condescending. "Would you please just go get our clothes then? I think Neji is ready to leave, and if I stay in here any longer I'll become a prune."

Lee senses that he will soon be forgiven, and as a result his sparkling grin returns. "Of course, Tenten! I shall bring them to you as soon as they finish drying. We hung them on the clothesline of the front porch, and the sun is strong there at this time of day, so it should not be much longer. Please be patient."

_Great, all of Konoha can walk by and see our underwear. _This time, Neji really does sigh, albeit quietly.

Apparently Tenten has the same thought. "You what?!"

"Darling Tenten, I said--"

"I can't believe you would do that!"

"But--" Lee is abruptly cut off when Tenten throws one of the wooden shower buckets at him. He manages to dodge the unlikely projectile, but in doing so he slips upon a bar of soap that had been carelessly left on the tiled floor. Feet fly out from under his thin body, and Lee reaches desperately for anything that might stop his fall. His hands connect with just one thing: the old plumbing which-- instead of arresting his descent-- promptly comes free of the wall, flooding the bathroom with a geyser of cold water.

"Oops." The word comes from both the fallen Lee and the guilty Tenten at the same time.

Neji simply begins to contemplate the stigma of returning to the Hyuga estate in the buff.

* * *

"I can't believe this!" Hunkered down in the dry ditch, Tenten has to yell to be heard over the violent shrieking of the wind.

Neji turns to peer at her, his watering eyes squeezed half shut against the gale. "The weather looked ominous before we made camp! It's not as though a tornado was out of the question!"

Tenten lifts her head for a moment and gazes at the twisting black shape on the plain before them. It reminds her of her Rising Twin Dragons attack, and it picks up their tent and hurls it toward them in the same manner that she throws her weapons.

Neji pushes her head down just as the fabric dwelling sails over them. "You should be more careful!"

Tenten takes a steadying breath and gives him one shaky smile. "Sorry about that! You know, I wasn't talking about the tornado!"

Neji gives her a questioning look, and Tenten points toward the crouched form of Rock Lee, just a few feet away. The Green Beast is beaming, eyes wide with excitement. "What about him?"

"His hair-- it's not moving at all!"

And it is not. Neji and Tenten can only watch as whatever hair gel Gai had given to Rock Lee proves impervious to cyclone-force winds.

* * *

"Tenten, are you alright?"

The sixteen year old weapons mistress shrugs out of the harness holding her heavy scroll to her waist, and leans weakly against the great open gate of Konoha. Very slowly, she turns her head to the side in order to view her green-clad friend. The sight of Rock Lee, standing tall and seemingly unaffected by their recent workout, grates on her nerves. Tenten rolls her chocolate eyes. "I'm fine, but did we have to run all the way back?"

Her other teammate, the recently promoted Jonin Neji Hyuga, fixes his eyes upon her. After so many years, the strange pearlescent orbs have ceased to bother her, but the message hidden in them is every bit as annoying as Lee's unaltered physical state. "The Land of Grass is not that far."

Tenten pulls a face at the unspoken rebuke, but she has always made it a point never to criticize Neji, even if he does so to her, and so she stays quiet now.

Lee, on the other hand, bursts into a huge white grin. After all, it is not everyday that the captain of their small cell agrees with him, and he cannot help but rub it in a little. Good naturedly, of course. He plants his hands upon his hips in an unconscious imitation of their teacher. "Perhaps Gai-sensei was right, Tenten. You are out of shape. You should be more disciplined."

"Out of shape?" Tenten's right hand tightens upon the top of the scroll leaning beside her, and she glares daggers at the village's Handsome Devil. If only her feet did not hurt so badly, she would do much more than that. As it is, she just promises she will get Lee back later. Maybe she will slash his gaudy orange leg warmers to ribbons…

The sudden appearance of a figure from inside the nearby gatehouse distracts the three from their tense situation. The day's guard-- one Kotetsu Hagane-- hurries toward them, his manner nervous and his bandaged face grave. He looks them over before pronouncing, "Team Gai, you're back much earlier than expected."

"We ran the whole way," Lee explains, feeling quite proud of his physical achievement. He cannot wait to tell Gai-sensei about the incredible feat and receive the man's adoring praise. How splendid that moment shall be!

"Is our returning ahead of schedule a problem?" Neji asks, eyeing the older shinobi up and down and searching for clues as to his oddly distraught behavior. He cannot put his finger on it, but something about this situation strikes him as horribly wrong.

Kotetsu shakes his scruffy head and glances back and forth between the three teenagers, trying to judge their emotional state. How do you give kids what might be the worst news of their lives? Oh, he thinks, if only Izumo had been on watch today. "No, not at all. In fact, it's a good thing. You see, your sensei is in the hospital."

"What?" Lee asks, his mouth dropping open and his ebony eyes growing wide with disbelief. "Is he--"

Worried, Tenten cuts her bushy eye-browed friend off. "Is he alright?" She has by now bolted up from her position against the gate and taken a few steps toward the guard-turned-bearer of bad news.

Kotetsu holds his hands out, palms up in a defensive gesture. "Whoa, now. I don't know all of the details. We guards were just asked to inform you when you returned from your mission. You might want to go right down there, though."

No sooner have the words left Kotetsu's mouth than Lee is hurrying down the main avenue, making a beeline for the hospital. Despite her exhaustion, Tenten is right behind him, trying to both run and tie her scroll on at the same time. Neji, however, pauses. "What about reporting in to the Hokage?"

Kotetsu shrugs. Protocol is important, but… "I'm sure your briefing can wait."

Neji nods, and hastens after his teammates.

----

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Tenten asks, struggling to catch both her breath and her bearings. "I thought the Intensive Care Unit was on the other side of the hospital."

"It is," Lee replies, thankfully slowing his breakneck pace as they pass an exit and turn down yet another featureless hallway. Tenten decides to take his word for it, seeing as her friend had spent quite a bit of his ninja career in the said ward. "But the nurse at the front desk said that Gai-sensei's room is in this direction."

_So he isn't in Intensive Care… He can't be hurt that badly, can he? Unless they've made him comfortable, and are waiting for him to die._

Tenten's thoughts spiral slowly into darkness, one following another. She is so caught up in them that she runs smack into Lee's back when he stops short. Rubbing her now sore forehead, she tries peering around the Green Beast. "Lee, what is it?"

Her teammate points wordlessly toward the small sign next to the door in front of them, the one that has their teacher's name printed neatly upon it. It is then that Tenten truly recognizes that the awful situation is real and-- judging by the tears streaming down his face-- Rock Lee has come to the same conclusion.

_He's really here. He's really hurt. It's not just something made up by Kotetsu and a mean-spirited nurse…_

Tenten catches sight of Neji at the end of the long hall, forces herself to give him a little wave. Then she takes a deep, calming breath and places her hand on Lee's trembling shoulder. "Let's go in."

----

The room is small and sterile, and like everything else, it is mostly beige. There exists a sense of coziness, however-- a thin rug has been laid across the tiled floor, an extra blanket lies across the foot of the single bed, and the far wall is mostly a window, complete with curtains. Some nice person has even left flowers. All in all, Tenten thinks that it looks surprisingly like a hotel room, except for the person lying in the bed.

Gai does not look well. His usually shiny black hair lies dull and limp, while his face is shockingly pale, with sweat covering his brow. The white hospital gown is nowhere near as form-fitting as his customary green spandex, but even with this disguise, it is easy to see that he has lost weight. A steadily dripping IV is hooked into his right arm. Even so, he still turns to greet them. "Lee! Tenten, my flower! And Neji, how good it is to see you!"

"Gai-sensei!" Lee crosses the room with startling speed-- a green blur against a sea of taupe-- and throws his arms around the invalid man, accidentally knocking the IV over. Luckily, Tenten is right behind him, and she catches the cool metal stand before it hits the floor and detaches itself from her teacher's bulging vein. As she places it upright out of the way, her eyes methodically search for any dents in the steel, and this makes Gai smile.

_No sparkle... Where's the sparkle?_

"How are you, my peerless pupils?"

Tenten frowns, her brows drawing together in a sign of worry. " I think we should be asking you that."

While being smothered by Lee, something flashes abruptly across Gai's craggy face-- pain?-- and then he waves her concern away. "Was your vital, daring mission a success? You are back surprisingly early."

Lee loosens his grip, stands up and wipes his wet face across his long sleeve, causing Tenten to grimace disgustedly. There were tissues on the bedside table next to him, for heaven's sake! "It was, sir. We ran all the way home, in celebration of our great victory."

"Fabulous! Just what I would expect from the best, most fiery-hearted shinobi Konoha has to offer!"

Lee salutes his overly dramatic teacher, dark eyes beginning to water once again. "Thank you, Gai-sensei!"

Neji has been lingering at the entrance, looking for all the world like a ghost in his traditional white Hyuga outfit. Now that he has examined his teacher with the Byakugan and discovered no visible life-threatening injuries, he slides the door closed and comes to stand silently at the foot of the narrow bed.

The passionate, non-informative exchange between Lee and Gai has only served to upset the already unstable Tenten further. Crossing her arms and locking eyes with her teacher, she asks in a no-nonsense manner, "Why are you in the hospital?"

Rock Lee turns to face her as his second round of tears begin. "Is it not obvious? Gai-sensei is hurt."

Neji has picked up the clipboard attached to the end of the bed-- the one with Gai's medical charts and prognosis attached. As most of his attention is focused on perusing the extensive file, he corrects the younger boy only half-heartedly. "He's hurting, not hurt. There is a difference." Neither of his anxious teammates pay him any attention.

Tenten just cannot make sense of the situation. What in the world could have happened to Gai? All she can think is that her instructor must have somehow been injured in the line of duty. "You weren't scheduled for any missions when we left. Was there an emergency or something?"

Gai reaches out to the nightstand, where a large glass of ice water has been laid within easy reach. Even so, the sobbing Lee is there before him, and he holds the cup while his teacher drinks. "Ah, thank you Lee! My throat feels much better now! You know, you really would have made a splendid nurse!"

"It was a midwife," Neji murmurs, flipping a page and staring at a complicated diagram that has something to do with Gai's organs. While not a medical ninja, he has a fair understanding of the inner workings of the body, and he is pretty sure he can figure out the rest. "He also fainted, or have you forgotten?"

"I think my question has been forgotten," Tenten grumbles, glancing out the window. A nice, skyline view of Konoha can be seen, the Hokage Monument rising in the background. Today, the sight of her idol's visage does nothing to calm her.

"Ah, forgive me, Sweetheart! No, there was not an emergency assignment. I have been home all along, waiting on you fine, youthful students to return triumphant and tell me your grand stories!"

"So you're sick, not actually injured?"

Gai places his hand to his chin, deep in thought. How best to describe his ailment? He does not want to upset his students, for they are very dear to him, but to let them know the actual truth…. "No, I am not injured, nothing like that. But I'm not exactly ill, either."

"It appears to be a chronic condition," Neji explains, but all his teammates hear is that it is lasting, and they immediately begin to imagine the very worst.

"Gai-sensei," Lee wails, "are you dying?"

Tenten feels the odd burning at the back of her eyes that signifies building tears. She stares at her tutor with a look of disbelief. Gai is only twenty-eight years old, and although shinobi should never expect a long life, Tenten thinks that it is much too soon for him to die. And anyway, he seemed so well when they had left him last week.

"Let's not talk about that right now," Gai says, desperate to change the subject. "While I have been lying here, conserving all of my strength, I have done a great deal of thinking. In light of your most-deserved promotions last year, I should have imparted to you some priceless pearls of wisdom. Please allow me to do so now."

_Oh gods, his last words._

"Lee, you have persevered through terrible hardship to become a splendid ninja, as well as the greatest of Ferocious Fist taijutsu masters-- save for myself, of course-- and I am very proud of you. If you have one fault, however, it is your eagerness to fight. Remember that true battles are fought to protect things that are precious, and treat them as such."

Lee nods and sniffles.

"Tenten." The kunoichi steps forward and takes Gai's hand as the first of her tears spill from her chocolate eyes. "My sunflower, you are a weapon's mistress without equal, and strong kunoichi. I am overjoyed that I have had the chance to be your teacher. And yet, I feel that I must point out your weakness; you rely to much upon your arsenal. You have a fine intellect, and many other skills. You must learn to balance them all."

"Of course, Master."

"Neji, your rank now speaks for itself. Thus far you have proved yourself to be a prodigy, the only one of your year mates to become a Jonin. As such, you could be a Genin team leader or even an officer for the ANBU Black Ops-- you certainly have the talent for the last! Still, you have a weak point, and it is not your blind spot. Although you have done much to remedy this, you still pay far too much attention to your battles, and not enough to either your foes or teammates. There is much to be learned from all people."

Exhausted, Gai leans back into his pillows and sighs. "Now, my superlative students, please promise to work hard and always improve."

"I swear to you, Gai-sensei!"

Tenten wipes her eyes, not wanting to appear weak. It is hard though, when the man who has been like your father is wasting away. "I promise I'll study harder."

"Good. Neji?"

No answer.

"Neji, my rival! Gai-sensei is passionately speaking to you."

The Hyuga flips a page, places his index finger on a line of text. He does not appear to have heard them.

Tenten's voice is harsh. "For heaven's sake, Neji! Our teacher is dying, and you won't even answer him!"

"He's not dying," Neji says, turning the clipboard around so that his teammates can see. "He is suffering from kidney stones, particularly one that appears to be about five millimeters at the widest point. If he ingests plenty of fluids, and stays on the medicine in that IV, chances are good that he will pass it naturally within a few days. The only reason that he is even here is for pain management."

"That is a lie," Lee says, glancing back toward his hero. "Is it not, Gai-sensei?"

Gai looks shamefaced. "Well…"

Angry, Tenten slams her hand down upon the mattress. "Damn it, Gai-sensei! We thought you were dying!"

Neji slips the charts back into the basket at the end of the bed. "Well, he isn't. You should be thankful."

_Neji is right._

Tenten sighs and lets the anger flow out of her. At the end of the day, life is the greatest gift of all.

* * *

"Lee, that was foolish."

Rock Lee looks in askance at the Hyuga. Neji is still bedridden after his fight with Kidomaru, but he has taken to using resistance bands in an effort to strengthen his healing body. "I beg your pardon, Neji, but what was foolish?"

Neji takes a breath and pulls the band that Lee had graciously loaned him-- green, what else?-- and holds it taut for a few seconds. Then he exhales and release the tension. "You coming after us, when you were not even fully recovered."

"At least I had been discharged from the hospital!" Lee protests. He watches as his friend begins yet another set of reps, probably doing more harm than good. For a genius, Neji can be surprisingly stupid. "Besides, everyone else went."

"If all of the rookie ninja in the village were to jump off a bridge, would you do that as well?"

Lee grins. "No. I would be waiting at the bottom, to catch you."

* * *

Six months. It has been six months since they returned home to find their village wiped from the face of the earth. Much has happened in that time; battles have been fought, friends have died, and darkest secrets have become public. The whole world has changed.

_It is all gone…_

Watching the three teenagers clean up what little is left of their childhood training grounds, Gai worries about his students. With this last attack, their innocence has been ripped away. They have literally seen the very worst that life has to offer. He cannot imagine how this will affect their futures.

Across the field, the sun begins to rise, turning his students into dark silhouettes. As he watches, the thin one with the distinctive bowl cut lifts something from the ground. A voice, surprisingly eager, reaches his ears.

"Neji! Tenten! Look what I found!"

A more sensible male voice follows the first. "Lee, you idiot, put that down."

"But--"

The second figure moves menacingly toward the first, who leaps agilely away and tries to hide behind a third, bun-wearing body. The third moves quickly away from the first.

"Lee, that snake is poisonous! Put it down before it bites you!"

"Tenten, he was all alone, smashed under that heavy rock… We should keep him."

The next words are spoken in Neji's patient voice. "No, Lee. It's a wild animal, and it belongs out here in the forest."

"But the forest has been destroyed! Please let me adopt him. I'll call him Shino, and--"

_My poor students! To loose everything at such a young age! How tragic! _

"-- And he shall never have to live all scrunched under a rock again."

_Poor, poor pupils! What ever shall become of them, now that they have lost their spirited youth?_

The last figure picks up a hunk of rubble and begins tossing it up into the air. "I'll scrunch you under a rock if you don't put that thing back where you found it!"

On second thought, Team Gai will be just fine.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

_Please be on the lookout for _

The Fiery Album of Life

_The sequel to _

A Portrait of Youth

_Coming soon._


End file.
